THE Welsh Government will spend £5.89 million on measures to improve air quality in schools, colleges and universities, speed up cleaning times and quickly remove viruses.

£3.31 million will be spent on ozone disinfecting machines which work by producing small amounts of the unstable molecule into an environment. The funding is expected to pay for more than 1,800 of these machines - at least one for every school, college and university in Wales.

The ozone molecule attack any bacteria in the immediate vicinity and leaves behind only oxygen, making it safe to use.

Ozone is harmful to humans in large quantities, but disinfecting machines such as this are not able to produce enough to be in any way dangerous.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was identified early on that the cost and time of cleaning rooms in schools was high.

The machines were developed by a team of scientists at Swansea University and one machine is planned to be in every school, college and university.

Dr Chedly Tizaoui, part of the team who designed the machines, said: “I am delighted that the ozone technology we developed at Swansea University will support efforts to eradicate Covid-19 in Wales.

“Reducing the spread of coronavirus in our educational institutions is vitally important, so our children and students can get back to the classroom.

“Ozone is potent against Covid-19 virus and due to its gaseous nature, it kills the virus whether be it airborne or adhered to a surface.

“Thanks to the support received from the Welsh Government and the Active Buildings pioneered by SPECIFIC, our research demonstrated that buildings can be Active on the inside and the ozone treatment developed here can be incorporated to support cleaning and disinfection of public buildings.”

Additionally, £2.58 million will be spent on more than 30,000 carbon dioxide monitors.

The monitors will be like traffic lights, and will be easy for teachers and lecturers to observe when the air quality in a room needs to improve.

Adjusting the ventilation at optimum times instead of relying on a timed system is far more efficient and will result in lower energy costs for the schools.

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Jeremy Miles, minister for education and Welsh language, 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.

“This supports our common goal of ensuring learners can continue learning together with their teachers and friends.

“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.”