Carbon Dioxide Poisoning within SVA classrooms

Ayden Gallegos

High School Student

November/December 2025

Carbon dioxide poisoning in Mr. Kamman's class

Students in algebra classes with Mr. Kamman tend to get tired and sometimes fall asleep in his classes. Some of these cases can be exempt due to early day tiredness but the real culprit is Carbon dioxide poisoning. As normal humans we exhale carbon dioxide, and with multiple classes packed with students in a room with poor ventilation the carbon dioxide can build up and cause slight carbon dioxide poisoning. An effect of slight poisoning is being tired.

An article from MDPI states that students report discomfort due to the poisoning. A quote from them follows “Numerous studies have shown a clear correlation between poor IAQ and diminished cognitive performance, particularly in tasks that require focus and problem-solving. High CO2 concentrations, along with insufficient ventilation, have been linked to reduced cognitive function and lower academic scores, particularly in subjects like mathematics [19,20]. For instance, in classrooms where CO2 levels reached 2714 ppm—well above the recommended 1500 ppm—students reported discomfort, which negatively impacted their performance, with effectiveness falling between 48% and 62%” another study was conducted stating that carbon dioxide poisoning can cause slower response times and accuracy in cognitive tasks. It's also proven that less carbon dioxide in the air can improve test performance such as speed and accuracy. “Reducing CO2 concentrations from 2100 ppm to 900 ppm, for example, has been shown to improve test performance by 12% in terms of speed and 2% in terms of accuracy, while also increasing daily attendance by 2.5%”

Carbon dioxide poisoning can also affect the mental health of students. High exposure to carbon dioxide has been proven to cause responses like panic attacks or fear and discomfort. “ Exposure to high levels of CO2 has been shown to trigger emotional responses resembling panic attacks. According to [24], inhaling elevated levels of CO2 can replicate the fear and discomfort typical of spontaneous panic episodes.”

In order to improve student preparedness, performance and mental health within classrooms. We can open the door to add ventilation and turn on the air purifiers the school handed out. I conducted a study of my own, where I went around and asked students on a scale of one to ten, ten being the most tired. How do you feel tired throughout the day? The poll came back where students had stated that they felt the most tired in classes they had with Mr. Kamman, with the average being 6 on the scale.

Please take note that this is not a personal attack launched upon Mr. Kamman but an informational write up discussing the importance of carbon dioxide poisoning and how it can affect students in the classroom.

Works Cited

Fretes, Gabriela, et al. “Influence of Particulate Matter and Carbon Dioxide on Students’ Emotions in a Smart Classroom.” Applied Sciences, vol. 14, no. 23, 28 Nov. 2024, pp. 11109–11109, www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/14/23/11109, https://doi.org/10.3390/app142311109. Accessed 8 Dec. 2025.

Gaihre, Santosh, et al. “Classroom Carbon Dioxide Concentration, School Attendance, and Educational Attainment.” Journal of School Health, vol. 84, no. 9, 13 Aug. 2014, pp. 569–574, https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12183.

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