Indoor Air Quality of Kindergarten and Primary School Environment along Dar es Salaam Coast, Tanzania

Studies on air quality are limited in Sub-Saharan Africa. Contributions from the sampled kindergarten and primary classrooms dusts and play ground soils in Dar es Salaam city, Tanzania, were assessed for heavy elements. Samples were acid digested and supernatant analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer. Mean concentrations (mg/kg) for the identified heavy metals, Cr, Mn, Cu and Ni, were in the range 3.2 - 104 (mg/kg) and 5 - 7200 (mg/kg) respectively. X-ray fluorescence analysises on loaded filters with particulate matter, detected elements Al, Si, S, Cl, K, Ca, Fe and Zn in the range 7.5-26.6 gm-3. As children spend most of their day time at schools, exposure to heavy elements will lead to health problems. These risks may be reduced by frequent wet mopping in classrooms, planting of grasses and trees on surrounding bare lands.