{"id":42422,"date":"2026-06-22T13:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T05:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/?p=42422"},"modified":"2026-06-22T13:20:28","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T05:20:28","slug":"how-air-purifiers-reduced-student-absences-in-italian-schools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/blog\/how-air-purifiers-reduced-student-absences-in-italian-schools\/","title":{"rendered":"How Air Purifiers Reduced Student Absences in Italian Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A study found that air purifiers significantly improved classroom air quality and helped reduce student absences in Milan, Italy,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study followed more than 2,000 students across five primary schools, comparing classrooms with and without air purifiers. Researchers tracked indoor air pollution, attendance, and student health throughout the school year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The results suggest that cleaner indoor air may help students stay healthier and spend more time in class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What the Study Looked At<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"file:\/\/\/C:\/Users\/danie\/OneDrive\/Documents\/Smart%20Air\/School%20research%20paper.pdf\">Researchers installed air purifiers<\/a> in randomly selected classrooms across five primary schools in Milan, following 95 classrooms and 2,050 students over several months to compare indoor air quality and student attendance between classrooms with and without air purifiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Air Purifiers Reduced Indoor PM2.5 by 32%<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Classrooms with air purifiers had substantially lower PM2.5 concentrations than classrooms without them. Researchers found that air purifiers lowered indoor PM2.5 levels by approximately 32%. The reduction remained relatively consistent throughout the school year, including during winter months when outdoor pollution levels were higher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0001.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Purifiers worked consistently all year in school to reduce PM2.5.\" class=\"wp-image-42447\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0005.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Students Missed Fewer School Days<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cleaner air was also linked to improved attendance. Students in classrooms with air purifiers were absent less often than students in classrooms without purifiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The study found that classrooms with air purifiers experienced a 12.5% reduction in student absenteeism. On average, students missed about 1.34 fewer school days per year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Researchers also found stronger benefits among students who already had higher absence rates before the study began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Student's absence rate reduces by 12.5%. \" class=\"wp-image-42444\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0002.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Students missed 1.34 fewer school days.\" class=\"wp-image-42445\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0003.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>More Days Within WHO Air Quality Guidelines<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The study also looked at how often classrooms exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) PM2.5 guidelines. Classrooms with air purifiers stayed within recommended air quality limits more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Control classrooms exceeded WHO PM2.5 limits on 28.2% of school days. In classrooms with air purifiers, that number dropped to 18.7%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"Purifiers helped classrooms stay within healthy air guidelines more often.\" class=\"wp-image-42446\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Italy-school-research_page-0004.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Students Reported Fewer Respiratory Symptoms<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to attendance data, students in classrooms with air purifiers reported fewer symptoms such as runny noses, blocked noses, and coughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers believe these health improvements likely contributed to the reduction in absences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Air Purifier: A Practical and Cost-Effective Intervention<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The researchers estimated that the intervention cost approximately \u20ac10.60 per avoided absence day. Compared to many educational or attendance interventions, the study finds that air purifiers were relatively cost-effective and easy to scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although air purifiers should not replace broader efforts to reduce outdoor pollution, they may provide schools with a practical way to improve indoor air quality where students spend much of their day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-600x338.jpg 600w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Blast-mini-kindergarden-4-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class='bottom-line'><div class='bottom-line-top'>Bottom Line<\/div><div class='bottom-line-title'>How Air Purifiers Reduced Student Absences in Italian Schools<\/div><div class='bottom-line-content'>\nAir purifiers significantly reduced classroom PM2.5 levels and helped students miss fewer school days, showing that cleaner classroom air can have measurable benefits for student health and attendance.\n<\/div><div class='bottom-line-last'>Smart Air<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A study found that air purifiers significantly improved classroom air quality and helped reduce student absences in Milan, Italy, The study followed more than 2,000 students across five primary schools, comparing classrooms with and without air purifiers. Researchers tracked indoor air pollution, attendance, and student health throughout the school year. &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"How Air Purifiers Reduced Student Absences in Italian Schools\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/blog\/how-air-purifiers-reduced-student-absences-in-italian-schools\/#more-42422\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Air Purifiers Reduced Student Absences in Italian Schools\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10915,"featured_media":42450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"34279,26353,2655,12826,7568,7490","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,190,452,264,257,796],"tags":[272,283,278,74,561,1011],"class_list":["post-42422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air-pollution","category-air-purifiers","category-air-quality","category-indoor-air","category-pm2-5","category-schools","tag-air-pollution","tag-air-purifier","tag-air-quality","tag-pm2-5","tag-school","tag-sick-leave","resize-featured-image"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10915"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42422"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42451,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42422\/revisions\/42451"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}