More than £6m to be spent on new technology to improve air quality in schools

The Welsh Government has announced more than £6m will be spent on new technology to improve air quality in schools, colleges and universities, with the new term approaching.

More than £3.3m will be provided for more than 1,800 ozone disinfecting machines – one for every school, college and university in Wales.

The machines, which have been developed by Swansea University with Welsh Government funding, can be used to quickly disinfect classrooms when clusters of Covid-19 or other viruses are identified.

Dr Chedly Tizaoui, of Swansea University, said: “Ozone is potent against Covid-19 virus and due to its gaseous nature, it kills the virus whether it’s airborne or adhered to a surface.”

Meanwhile, £2.85m will be spent on 30,000 CO2 traffic light monitors, which will be used in classrooms and lecture theatres.

The traffic light monitors include sensors which can detect air quality, signalling when air quality needs to be improved.

Wales’ Education Minister, Jeremy Miles, said: “I’m pleased learners can return to classrooms and lecture theatres this autumn with fewer restrictions in place than there have been for several months.

“This investment in CO₂ monitors will help improve air quality, while the disinfecting machines will enable classrooms to return to normal use quicker.”

He added: “But we must keep our guard up against Covid-19. These measures will complement, rather than replace, our current advice – which includes ensuring hygiene is maintained, and washing hands thoroughly and more often than usual.”

But the investments have been questioned by opposition parties in the Senedd.

South Wales East Senedd Member Laura Anne Jones, who is the Welsh Conservatives’ Shadow Education Minister, said: “Anything that can be done to keep students in classrooms and minimise disruption is welcome, but using ozone disinfecting machines in schools raises some serious concerns.

“Spraying a toxic chemical in classrooms is a controversial move, and we need assurances from the Welsh Government that this is a safe thing to do.”

She added: “I understand that nobody will be in the room when these machines are operating, but as ozone can damage the lungs if inhaled, we need confirmation of what robust measures are going to be put in place to stop someone coming into contact with it.”

Plaid Cymru’s Education Spokesperson, Sian Gwenllian MS, said the use of CO2 monitors in educational settings was “long overdue”, but added: “The use of ozone disinfecting machines is controversial to say the least and we all need to be satisfied that Welsh Government is absolutely certain that they are a safe option before introducing them.”