Air Quality

ASB is committed to providing a safe environment for its students, and in Mumbai, India, this means monitoring the air quality both inside and outside the buildings regularly.

Air Quality Practices, Procedures, and Considerations 

1. The majority of individuals and families expect the school delivers a high-quality physical education and athletics program to students.

2. Activity is necessary for us all – children, young adults, and adults – and inactivity presents potential behavioral and health-related problems.
3. Parents always have the right to request that their child(ren) does/do not participate in aerobic activity, or go outside for recess or classes, and under such circumstances,  students will never be penalized for non-participation.
4. We are members of international school athletic leagues – ASIAC and SAISA – and as such, we have commitments to be participatory, contributing members.
5. We wish to remain as active as possible regarding all aspects of our lives in Mumbai.
6. Students exhibiting or complaining of shortness of breath or irritation in the throat are routinely sent into a building with conditioned air until they feel relief. 
7. Regular readings of inside air quality will help us to ensure that our indoor air quality continues to be excellent. 
8. School administrators will communicate to the faculty and students any need for modification of outdoor physical activity, keeping in mind both the AQI (Air Quality Index) and the multiple other factors influencing the health and well-being of students. 

The guidelines we use to determine if outdoor physical activity will be modified are as follows: 

• On days when AQI readings exceed 200 for elementary students and 250 for MS/HS  students, we will not have outdoor activities.
• If AQI levels are between 201 and 250, the  ASB PE and Athletics Departments will modify activities in order to keep heart rates and respiration rates low, while still providing instruction and movement opportunities for our students. Any activity will be short in duration and of minimal physical demand. 

We use the air quality data sourced from the US Consulate and/or data from our handheld  device to determine our outdoor activity. We are continually exploring how to best protect our students from the effects of poor air quality. This is an ongoing process utilizing knowledge and research from around the world. 

We utilize the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), the US Consulate, and Mumbai Pollution Authority tools to make informed decisions about air quality.

Air Purification

ASB purifies indoor air by three-stage HEPA filtration, monitoring indoor air quality with real-time sensors.

ASB also has more than 50,000 live indoor plants, including green walls, which contribute to the most optimal indoor air quality within the school campuses. 

Our play areas and recreational spaces, including our swimming pools, have been enclosed and fitted with HEPA filtration.

Air Quality Index

We measure and monitor the AQI (Air Quality Index) using the published US Consulate AQI readings every hour when students are participating in school or other on-campus activities, or when they are involved in activities in the wider Mumbai area.