The research, which analyzed air quality in 15 schools and high schools across seven municipalities in Málaga, including the capital, Álora, Benalmádena, Colmenar, Marbella, Torremolinos, and Villanueva de la Concepción, concludes that 80% of these centers show NO2 concentrations higher than advised limits.
Nitrogen dioxide is an atmospheric pollutant that irritates the respiratory tract, and children are particularly vulnerable to it. Exposure to this element has been linked to various respiratory conditions, such as acute or chronic bronchitis, bronchial reactivity, and an increased risk of respiratory infections in childhood, as warned by experts.
“"Pollution, even if unseen, can exist."
The study, coordinated by a Biology and Geology teacher from a high school in the capital, was conducted in November with the participation of volunteer teachers and their students. Using low-cost sensors, measurements were taken outside the centers. The validity of these devices was confirmed by installing them at an official monitoring station on Juan XXIII Avenue, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Environment.
The results revealed that 12 out of the 15 centers studied exceed the WHO reference value, which sets a maximum of 10 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) of NO2. Although the new European Air Quality directive, set to come into force by 2030, raises this limit to 20 µg/m3, and the current legal limit is 40 µg/m3, most of the examined school environments do not meet air quality standards.
Only three centers showed results below WHO limits: IES Manuel Romero in Villanueva de la Concepción (5.78 µg/m3), IES Valle del Sol in Álora (6.64 µg/m3), and IES Los Montes in Colmenar (4.9 µg/m3). Nine centers, seven of which are in the city of Málaga, exceed 20 µg/m3, notably including high schools such as Fernando de los Ríos (22.6 µg/m3) and Juan Ramón Jiménez (27.74 µg/m3).
The report emphasizes that these data are particularly concerning, as many of these centers are not located in areas formally classified as high-emission zones. This suggests that local traffic and immediate urban configuration are sufficient factors to degrade air quality to harmful levels. Sustained exposure to these levels, even below the maximum legal limit, poses a risk to students' lung development and respiratory health.
