Explore every episode of the podcast Air Quality Matters
Dive into the complete episode list for Air Quality Matters. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Title
Pub. Date
Duration
#89 - Healthy Buildings India 2025 Part 1: With Students and Industry
15 Sep 2025
From Healthy Buildings in India 2025, Air Quality Matters sits down in this series of podcasts from the event. In part 1, we talk to three of the next generation of researchers looking at the science of IEQ from the region and three Industry Leaders at the coal face right now.
Innovation, collaboration and knowledge sharing are themes that cut through the conversation here, from personalised ventilation systems to microplastics in the air we breathe, to thermal comfort and vernacular design of buildings in Nepal. A fascinating discussion with three up-and-coming minds from the field of research.
Then we sat down with leaders from Air Quality Monitoring, Ventilation systems and filtration to discuss air quality in the trenches! The problems being solved today and where this is going.
Huge thanks to.
Kumar Naddunuri - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumar-naddunuri-b6a66716/
Sruthy Robert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sruthy-robert/
Prativa Lamsal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/prativa-lamsal-a00092250/
and
Tervinder Singh - Director - Astberg Ventilation Pvt Ltd - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tervinder-singh-51827616/
Vitalii Matiunin - Co Founder and CEO - Airvoice - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitaliimatiunin/
Deepak Nanaware - Head of Engineering and Marketing Middle East & India - AAF - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-nanaware-97317142/
Check out the Air Quality Matters website for more information, updates and more. And the YouTube Channel
The Air Quality Matters Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.
Eurovent Farmwood Aereco Aico Ultra Protect Zehnder Group
The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.
SafeTraces & InBiot
All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
One Take #17: The Mold-Asthma Connection
16 Sep 2025
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Ever wondered if that tiny spot of mold in your bathroom corner actually matters? A study from France just answered this question with a resounding yes – and the findings should make us all reconsider how we think about household mould.
Mouldy area size and asthma symptom score and control in adults: the
CONSTANCES cohort
Drawing from an impressive pool of over 28,000 adults, researchers have established something both alarming and actionable: even the smallest visible mold growth significantly increases asthma risk in adults. This isn't just about massive infestations; the study reveals a clear "ladder of risk" where each step up in mold coverage – from mere spots to larger areas – progressively worsens asthma symptoms and control. People living with any visible mold were approximately 40% more likely to have current asthma and poorer symptom control.
What makes this research particularly valuable is its practical approach. Rather than treating mold as a simple yes/no question, researchers asked participants to estimate contaminated areas using everyday references (like comparing 0.2 square meters to three sheets of paper). They found that mould in bedrooms and living rooms – where we spend most of our time – had the strongest health impacts. The message is clear: mold isn't just a maintenance or aesthetic issue; it's a health hazard from the moment it appears, and its impact scales with its size.
For housing providers, healthcare professionals, and anyone who lives in a building (which is all of us!), these findings transform how we should approach even minor mold growth. That little patch in the corner isn't just unsightly – it's actively affecting respiratory health.
Mouldy area size and asthma symptom score and control in adults: the
CONSTANCES cohort (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122254)
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The Air Quality Matters Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.
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All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
#84 - Sarah Daly: Building Better: The Future of Sustainable Housing and Healthy Buildings
The gap between what we know and what we build has never been more troubling. While we have centuries of construction knowledge at our fingertips, today's housing often fails at the most fundamental levels of health, comfort, and efficiency.
Sarah Daly, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Sustainable Communities at Agile Homes, brings a refreshing perspective to this challenge. With her extensive background spanning sustainability, communications, and strategic leadership, Sarah cuts through the noise to address why our approach to sustainable housing needs radical reinvention.
"Words like sustainability and eco have been hijacked and weaponized," Sarah explains, pointing to how terminology has become a barrier rather than a bridge to understanding. The conversation explores how we've reached a critical juncture where the housing crisis pushes quantity over quality, creating homes that actively harm occupants through poor indoor air quality and substandard construction.
The discussion delves into the alarming reality that most new housing fails to meet even basic performance standards, with up to 80% of buildings showing significant non-compliance. Sarah reveals how developers "game the system," knowing they can often evade responsibility once properties change hands. "You've got more consumer rights buying a cheese sandwich in a supermarket than spending hundreds of thousands on a house," she notes pointedly.
What makes this conversation truly powerful is Sarah's pragmatic vision for change. Now working at "the pointy end of the spear" with Agile Homes, she demonstrates how building to Passive House standards should simply be the baseline, not an aspirational goal. Through community-based transformation projects, needs-led design, and a focus on long-term value rather than short-term costs, Sarah illustrates a pathway forward that prioritises human outcomes alongside environmental goals.
Part 2 - Pawel Wargocki - was recently promoted to Professor at DTU, Technical University of Denmark.
He’s the Past President of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate.
Previously, served as Chair of ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee and the Position Document Committee, Secretary of Academy of Indoor Air Sciences, and currently serving as a Director of the International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy.
Hel is an indoor climate scientist and expert, he teaches at undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. level courses, and supervises several Ph.D. and numerous M. Sc. students.
His research has influenced the development of indoor air sciences, and it is hard to overstate the impact he has had in this sector.
He continues to be involved in fascinating research on the impact of air quality on performance in the workplace, health and performance in schools, and the impact of air quality on sleep. He is behind a fascinating standard for assessing IEQ called tail and the list, honestly goes on.
Pawel is one of my favourite people to talk to in this space, he is respected, experienced and sometimes outspoken. But always great value to spend around.
We talked about so much in the episode, including his work on tail, how we are doing a characterisng air quality in general, some of his work on sleep and quite a bit more beside.
Pawel Wargocki - was recently promoted to Professor at DTU, Technical University of Denmark.
He’s the Past President of the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate.
Previously, served as Chair of ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee and the Position Document Committee, Secretary of Academy of Indoor Air Sciences, and currently serving as a Director of the International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy.
Hel is an indoor climate scientist and expert, he teaches at undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. level courses, and supervises several Ph.D. and numerous M. Sc. students.
His research has influenced the development of indoor air sciences, and it is hard to overstate the impact he has had in this sector.
He continues to be involved in fascinating research on the impact of air quality on performance in the workplace, health and performance in schools, and the impact of air quality on sleep. He is behind a fascinating standard for assessing IEQ called tail and the list, honestly goes on.
Pawel is one of my favourite people to talk to in this space, he is respected, experienced and sometimes outspoken. But always great value to spend around.
We talked about so much in the episode, including his work on tail, how we are doing a characterisng air quality in general, some of his work on sleep and quite a bit more beside.
With the consultation out now for the Future Homes Standard and some revisions to guidance on Part F (ventilation) in the UK, what better time to talk to the person behind many of the changes we have seen in guidance over the last few years?
Ian is an independent Building Performance Researcher, specialising in the testing and monitoring of buildings to evaluate the energy performance, indoor environmental quality, and comfort.
He is routinely involved in field-based building performance research programmes. The outcomes of his research projects often help inform building standards.
Ian has been a long-standing partner of the AECOM-led technical team appointed to support the UK Government (now the Building Safety Regulator, part of HSE) and, separately, the Welsh Government, in developing revisions to Parts F and L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, respectively.
Since 2008, Ian has provided a leading technical role in the revisions to Approved Document F and the building fabric specifications for Approved Document L, including airtightness standards. More recently, Ian has developed formal guidance for the Future Homes Standard, intended to reduce the performance gap and to improve ventilation standards during the retrofitting of existing homes.
We speak about standards, their role in addressing the performance gap and improving outcomes, what he sees in his research and much more.
With the consultation out now for the Future Homes Standard and some revisions to guidance on Part F (ventilation) in the UK, what better time to talk to the person behind many of the changes we have seen in guidance over the last few years?
Ian is an independent Building Performance Researcher, specialising in the testing and monitoring of buildings to evaluate the energy performance, indoor environmental quality, and comfort.
He is routinely involved in field-based building performance research programmes. The outcomes of his research projects often help inform building standards.
Ian has been a long-standing partner of the AECOM-led technical team appointed to support the UK Government (now the Building Safety Regulator, part of HSE) and, separately, the Welsh Government, in developing revisions to Parts F and L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales, respectively.
Since 2008, Ian has provided a leading technical role in the revisions to Approved Document F and the building fabric specifications for Approved Document L, including airtightness standards. More recently, Ian has developed formal guidance for the Future Homes Standard, intended to reduce the performance gap and to improve ventilation standards during the retrofitting of existing homes.
We speak about standards, their role in addressing the performance gap and improving outcomes, what he sees in his research and much more.
All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
#8.2 - Jelle Laverge: Exploring the Intersection of Law, Construction, and Indoor Air Quality, the Annexe 86 Program and the Revolution of Smart Materials
Part 2 Jelle Laverge - is an associate professor of the building physics research group of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Ghent University with a research focus on residential ventilation and teaches amongst other things construction law.
An operating agent of IEA-EBC Annex 86 a multi-national project looking at Energy Efficient Indoor Air Quality Management in Residential Buildings,
He is a practicing attorney-at-law a member of ISIAQ, and ASHRAE.
Jelle holds an MSc in architectural engineering (2007), an ML in fiscal law (2011) and a PhD in engineering (2013) from Ghent University.
A part-time building physics lecturer also in Gent and a visiting scholar at the University of Texas.
Jelle has been focused on ventilation and air quality for a long time and brings a wealth of experience to the dialogue. Pretty much turn a page on a paper on ventilation and Jelle will be cited somewhere.
It was great to get his take on where Belgium has come from and is going with ventilation, a country that is often pushing ahead and showing the way.
The gaps that exist in performance and why. We talked about ventilation and sector through the lens of law, standards his work leading Annexe 86 a very important piece of work and much more.
Part 1 Jelle Laverge - is an associate professor of the building physics research group of the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning at Ghent University with a research focus on residential ventilation and teaches amongst other things construction law.
An operating agent of IEA-EBC Annex 86 a multi-national project looking at Energy Efficient Indoor Air Quality Management in Residential Buildings,
He is a practicing attorney-at-law a member of ISIAQ, and ASHRAE.
Jelle holds an MSc in architectural engineering (2007), an ML in fiscal law (2011) and a PhD in engineering (2013) from Ghent University.
A part-time building physics lecturer also in Gent and a visiting scholar at the University of Texas.
Jelle has been focused on ventilation and air quality for a long time and brings a wealth of experience to the dialogue. Pretty much turn a page on a paper on ventilation and Jelle will be cited somewhere.
It was great to get his take on where Belgium has come from and is going with ventilation, a country that is often pushing ahead and showing the way.
The gaps that exist in performance and why. We talked about ventilation and sector through the lens of law, standards his work leading Annexe 86 a very important piece of work and much more.
Part 1 Henry Burridge - Is a Senior Lecturer in the Fluid Mechanics section in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London.
Henry has a background in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London.
Following his PhD, Henry has worked as a Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, initially in the Engineering Department and then in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.
Henry's research focuses on fluid mechanics for the built environment. And includes the practical application of this understanding to the human- and climate change-focused ventilation of buildings, amongst much more.
He is a Co-Investigator for the Tackling Air Pollution At Schools (TAPAS) network and the Future Urban Ventilation Network (FUVN): The Breathing City
Henry primarily applies his expertise to indoor air quality and ventilation, presenting evidence to the Common Select Committee for Health and Social Care and contributing to the Technical Advisory Panel on Ventilation for the Government's Cabinet Office, and being an author for the 'Indoor Air Quality and Health' chapter within the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022: air pollution.
A focus area for him is schools, and Henry currently leads the initiative towards School Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education via the SAMHE project, seeking to establish large-scale monitoring in UK schools and engage pupils with their school environment.
He is a Co-Investigator on CO-TRACE, investigating COVID-19 transmission in schools. And joint Principal-Investigator of the Department for Education's pilot project investigating the 'Changes In the Ventilation Of Schools when monitoring CO2.
Needless to say much of our discussion in the podcast was about schools, the challenges that particular sector faces, the impact of air quality on children and teachers and how projects like SAMHE are engaging kids in the science of air quality. We discussed much more of course including the value of observatories for indoor air quality.
Part 2 Henry Burridge - Is a Senior Lecturer in the Fluid Mechanics section in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London.
Henry has a background in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London.
Following his PhD, Henry has worked as a Post Doctoral Researcher at the University of Cambridge, initially in the Engineering Department and then in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.
Henry's research focuses on fluid mechanics for the built environment. And includes the practical application of this understanding to the human- and climate change-focused ventilation of buildings, amongst much more.
He is a Co-Investigator for the Tackling Air Pollution At Schools (TAPAS) network and the Future Urban Ventilation Network (FUVN): The Breathing City
Henry primarily applies his expertise to indoor air quality and ventilation, presenting evidence to the Common Select Committee for Health and Social Care and contributing to the Technical Advisory Panel on Ventilation for the Government's Cabinet Office, and being an author for the 'Indoor Air Quality and Health' chapter within the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report 2022: air pollution.
A focus area for him is schools, and Henry currently leads the initiative towards School Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education via the SAMHE project, seeking to establish large-scale monitoring in UK schools and engage pupils with their school environment.
He is a Co-Investigator on CO-TRACE, investigating COVID-19 transmission in schools. And joint Principal-Investigator of the Department for Education's pilot project investigating the 'Changes In the Ventilation Of Schools when monitoring CO2.
Needless to say much of our discussion in the podcast was about schools, the challenges that particular sector faces, the impact of air quality on children and teachers and how projects like SAMHE are engaging kids in the science of air quality. We discussed much more of course including the value of observatories for indoor air quality.
Chairman of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Indoor Air Quality Group and Chair of the GCP Europe Indoor Air Quality Task Force.
Nathan is a straight-talking, no-nonsense practitioner providing ventilation and air quality services in the south-east of England across both residential and non-residential buildings The Farmwood team and in particular, Nathan, have a laser focus on quality outcomes and are not afraid to highlight the gaps we often see in our sector.
Much of what we talk about on this podcast, Nathan and his team are at the coal face implemented day in and day out.
He is also a prolific ambassador for the sector, not least through his roles in BESA, the indoor air quality group, and GCP Europe.
I always enjoy talking to Nathan; his enthusiasm for what he does, doing it right, and the legacy this work leaves for his customers, but also the pride he takes in his staff is infectious.
We talked about the gaps we see in performance out there and, how the sector needs to upskill his personal journey into the world of air quality and his passion for skills and apprenticeships.
We explore the scientific approach behind ASHRAE Standard 241, developed to address airborne infection control in buildings during profound uncertainty. The standard represents a paradigm shift in how engineers design ventilation systems to manage risks from infectious aerosols.
• Confronting the challenge that viral emissions from infected individuals vary across seven orders of magnitude • Abandoning deterministic models in favor of Monte Carlo simulations that embrace uncertainty • Setting a specific risk target: keeping infection probability below 0.1% in 96% of scenarios • Creating the concept of eACH (equivalent clean airflow rate) as a universal currency for clean air • Revealing that older standards like ASHRAE 62.1 were significantly inadequate for infection control • Establishing different ventilation requirements based on space type and occupancy patterns • Acknowledging that even well-designed systems cannot eliminate risk completely
Chairman of the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Indoor Air Quality Group and Chair of the GCP Europe Indoor Air Quality Task Force.
Nathan is a straight-talking, no-nonsense practitioner providing ventilation and air quality services in the south-east of England across both residential and non-residential buildings The Farmwood team and in particular, Nathan, have a laser focus on quality outcomes and are not afraid to highlight the gaps we often see in our sector.
Much of what we talk about on this podcast, Nathan and his team are at the coal face implemented day in and day out.
He is also a prolific ambassador for the sector, not least through his roles in BESA, the indoor air quality group, and GCP Europe.
I always enjoy talking to Nathan; his enthusiasm for what he does, doing it right, and the legacy this work leaves for his customers, but also the pride he takes in his staff is infectious.
We talked about the gaps we see in performance out there and, how the sector needs to upskill his personal journey into the world of air quality and his passion for skills and apprenticeships.
Ben Jones - Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment.
With a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he worked as a Senior Software Engineer at BAE Systems before completing an Engineering Doctorate in Environmental Technologies at Brunel.
He was a Research Associate at University College London for two years before taking the post in Nottingham in 2013.
Ben's work focuses on measurement and modelling approaches to the indoor environment. He is particularly interested in the energy-efficient ventilation of buildings and its relationship with indoor air quality and occupant health.
Now and then, a piece of work comes along that has the attention of the room. And the work that Ben and his colleagues have been responsible for on Harm is right up there.
It's about the Harm that pollutants may cause and ways we can better define it and ultimately what we consider good or bad indoor air quality.
We talked about much more, including relative risk, cooking pollutants and what he is working on right now.
As always with Ben it was a genuinely fascinating conversation. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening.
Ben Jones - Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment.
With a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering, he worked as a Senior Software Engineer at BAE Systems before completing an Engineering Doctorate in Environmental Technologies at Brunel.
He was a Research Associate at University College London for two years before taking the post in Nottingham in 2013.
Ben's work focuses on measurement and modelling approaches to the indoor environment. He is particularly interested in the energy-efficient ventilation of buildings and its relationship with indoor air quality and occupant health.
Now and then, a piece of work comes along that has the attention of the room. And the work that Ben and his colleagues have been responsible for on Harm is right up there.
It's about the Harm that pollutants may cause and ways we can better define it and ultimately what we consider good or bad indoor air quality.
We talked about much more, including relative risk, cooking pollutants and what he is working on right now.
As always with Ben it was a genuinely fascinating conversation. I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for listening.
Tyler Smith is Vice President, of Healthy Buildings at Johnson Controls.
A background in engineering he has spent 18 years with the company in roles focused on leveraging building management systems and HVAC equipment to drive outcomes in energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
From 2018 to 2020 he led the Critical Environments business unit, which designs and manufactures systems for critical spaces such as hospitals and laboratories.
From late 2020, he has led Johnson Controls’ Healthy Buildings portfolio with a focus on helping building owners operate healthier buildings through improved indoor air quality.
He brings a unique perspective on how large organisations are starting to understand healthy buildings. Not just through the lens of there customers but even internally.
Just imagine for a second you take on the role of healthy buildings at the start of a global pandemic, and your organisation has over 100k employees across 2000 buildings in six continents.
Notwithstanding the impact you can have on the perception of air quality and health internally, the impacts organisations like Johnson Controls can have at a broader level even with incremental changes is enormous and fascinating to discuss.
They have been in buildings for over 140 years, they know a thing or two about how this works, and Tyler is at the Vanguard of enterprise-level thinking in this space.
We talked about how the corporate world is starting to see air quality and health in buildings, the impact standards are having in the sector, ESG, Big Data, air quality of course and much more.
Tyler Smith is Vice President, of Healthy Buildings at Johnson Controls.
A background in engineering he has spent 18 years with the company in roles focused on leveraging building management systems and HVAC equipment to drive outcomes in energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
From 2018 to 2020 he led the Critical Environments business unit, which designs and manufactures systems for critical spaces such as hospitals and laboratories.
From late 2020, he has led Johnson Controls’ Healthy Buildings portfolio with a focus on helping building owners operate healthier buildings through improved indoor air quality.
He brings a unique perspective on how large organisations are starting to understand healthy buildings. Not just through the lens of there customers but even internally.
Just imagine for a second you take on the role of healthy buildings at the start of a global pandemic, and your organisation has over 100k employees across 2000 buildings in six continents.
Notwithstanding the impact you can have on the perception of air quality and health internally, the impacts organisations like Johnson Controls can have at a broader level even with incremental changes is enormous and fascinating to discuss.
They have been in buildings for over 140 years, they know a thing or two about how this works, and Tyler is at the Vanguard of enterprise-level thinking in this space.
We talked about how the corporate world is starting to see air quality and health in buildings, the impact standards are having in the sector, ESG, Big Data, air quality of course and much more.
Peter Rickaby - Part 2- Lessons from Thamesmead and the damp and mould crises
Now living in South Africa Peter is an Independent Energy and Sustainability Consultant working for the UK housing and building industries.
His influence on how we view energy in buildings, risk, retrofit and standards in the UK is wide-ranging and profound.
For 35 years from 1982 to 2017, Peter was a Director of Rickaby Thompson Associates, a specialist energy and sustainability consultancy with clients including three UK Government Departments, the Energy Saving Trust, the Building Research Establishment, National Energy Services, The Institute for Sustainability, the BBC and many more.
He contributed extensively to the industry-led Each Home Counts Review, where he was also a member of the Implementation Board
He chaired the BSI Retrofit Standards Task Group and was Technical Author of PAS 2035:2019 Retrofitting Dwellings for Improved Energy Efficiency: and PAS 2038 Retrofitting Non-Domestic Buildings for Energy Efficiency:
Peter's knowledge of how we understand risk in the built environment intrigues me, and I have seen first-hand how this has had profound effects on outcomes in the most challenging environments.
We discussed how our perspective of risk in both retrofit and moisture in buildings has developed over the last few decades, his career and the now famous Theamesmead project, the condensation damp and mould crisis of the last 12 months—ventilation, of course, and much more.
BSI White paper - Moisture Risk in Buildings https://sdfoundation.org.uk/downloads/BSI-White-Paper-Moisture-In-Buildings.PDF
BSI PAS 2035 https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/standards/pas-2035-2030/
Each Home Counts https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f1384e5274a2e8ab49f6b/Each_Home_Counts__December_2016_.pdf
Peter Rickaby - Part 1- Risk in retrofit, moisture balance, standards and more.
Now living in South Africa Peter is an Independent Energy and Sustainability Consultant working for the UK housing and building industries.
His influence on how we view energy in buildings, risk, retrofit and standards in the UK is wide-ranging and profound.
For 35 years from 1982 to 2017, Peter was a Director of Rickaby Thompson Associates, a specialist energy and sustainability consultancy with clients including three UK Government Departments, the Energy Saving Trust, the Building Research Establishment, National Energy Services, The Institute for Sustainability, the BBC and many more.
He contributed extensively to the industry-led Each Home Counts Review, where he was also a member of the Implementation Board
He chaired the BSI Retrofit Standards Task Group and was Technical Author of PAS 2035:2019 Retrofitting Dwellings for Improved Energy Efficiency: and PAS 2038 Retrofitting Non-Domestic Buildings for Energy Efficiency:
Peter's knowledge of how we understand risk in the built environment intrigues me, and I have seen first-hand how this has had profound effects on outcomes in the most challenging environments.
We discussed how our perspective of risk in both retrofit and moisture in buildings has developed over the last few decades, his career and the now famous Theamesmead project, the condensation damp and mould crisis of the last 12 months—ventilation, of course, and much more.
BSI White paper - Moisture Risk in Buildings https://sdfoundation.org.uk/downloads/BSI-White-Paper-Moisture-In-Buildings.PDF
BSI PAS 2035 https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/standards/pas-2035-2030/
Each Home Counts https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f1384e5274a2e8ab49f6b/Each_Home_Counts__December_2016_.pdf
Max Sherman was a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, retiring in 2016 where he ran a research group for over 30 years.
It is hard to overplay the impact Max has had in our sector; even a cursory look at published papers on airtightness and infiltration, air quality or ventilation it's no surprise to see Max as an author, co-author or cited at some point in the work.
He has been a long-standing contributor to standards through ASHRAE
Recipient of the Distinguished Fellow Award, Environmental Health Award, and Exceptional Service Award.
He is a former member of the board. Currently Vice-Chair of 241 a standard on the control of infectious aerosols and member of the Environmental Health Committee
In part 2, we discuss the performance gap, the age of digital feedback loops and how they may influence ventilation outcomes or not. We dive into the value of harm for pollutants and the value or not of monitoring TVOC and PM.
Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory https://www.lbl.gov/
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers https://www.ashrae.org/
Max Sherman was a senior scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, retiring in 2016 where he ran a research group for over 30 years.
It is hard to overplay the impact Max has had in our sector; even a cursory look at published papers on airtightness and infiltration, air quality or ventilation it's no surprise to see Max as an author, co-author or cited at some point in the work.
He has been a long-standing contributor to standards through ASHRAE
Recipient of the Distinguished Fellow Award, Environmental Health Award, and Exceptional Service Award.
He is a former member of the board. Currently Vice-Chair of 241 a standard on the control of infectious aerosols and member of the Environmental Health Committee
We discuss the origin of adequate air quality, his work at Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory over 30 years and more recently his work with ASHRAE standard 241 "Control of infectious aerosols"
Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory https://www.lbl.gov/
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers https://www.ashrae.org/
If you are lucky enough to live to 80 years of age, you will spend close to 70 of those indoors. 55 years of that time in your own home.
The impact of our built environment on our long-term health is as inseparable as the relationship between the air we breathe inside and the quality of the air outside.
It’s a problem that requires a paradigm shift in how we think about it, design, manage and resource it. Better air quality and ventilation in our built environment is a puzzle that will require science and engineering, policy and innovation to solve.
Over the last two decades, I have had the privilege to talk with and even consider as friends some of the brightest minds, innovators and leaders in the field of air quality, ventilation and the built environment.
I hope to bring some of these conversations to you in this podcast. Conversation with the people at the heart of this sector. About them and their organisations. What they are working on, where this is going.
Simon Jones sits down with Andrew Sutton, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at SERO, to explore the challenges and opportunities in retrofitting UK housing stock and how these parallel the challenges in ventilation and air quality.
• Current retrofit efforts suffer from political cycles creating boom-bust patterns that make scaling difficult • Approximately half of a typical £35,000 retrofit cost is already in planned maintenance budgets • We need to move from product-based specifications to outcome-based approaches focusing on healthy environments, affordability, and carbon reduction • Data-driven building monitoring is transforming how we evaluate success, creating feedback loops that drive quality improvements • We should reframe retrofit as normal home improvement rather than a specialist activity • Bringing in private finance, particularly pension funds seeking long-term returns, can help smooth out funding cycles • New business models can share savings between residents and landlords, generating income streams for further improvements • By aggregating electrical generation and storage capabilities across housing portfolios, homes can function as distributed power stations • Construction often responds well to clear requirements when they know they'll be measured and held accountable • SERO focuses on creating pathways for homes that map steps to achieve net-zero carbon, healthy, affordable living environments
Lidia Morawska's paper provides a pragmatic framework for using low-cost PM2.5 sensors in regulatory indoor air quality monitoring, solving the longstanding problem of affordable compliance without sacrificing accuracy. This clever calibration system transforms inexpensive sensors into reliable monitoring networks by using yearly reference calibrations of key sensors and applying correction factors across similar devices.
• Low-cost sensors have revolutionized air quality monitoring but face accuracy challenges with PM2.5 measurement • Traditional reference monitors are too expensive and complex for widespread indoor deployment • Morawska's framework uses a network approach with designated reference sensors • Annual calibration of key sensors against reference instruments provides correction factors for the entire network • The system could include a central database of correction factors to prevent duplication of effort • This approach enables dynamic ventilation control based on reliable PM2.5 measurements • The framework moves us from "guessing and hoping" to "measuring and knowing" • Implementation would provide accountability and evidence for meeting health-based building standards
Microbiologist Vinod Kumar Sikar shares his journey of bridging the gap between microbiology and engineering to improve indoor air quality, particularly in healthcare settings throughout India. He explains how the Healthy Buildings Conference coming to Hyderabad this August will foster multidisciplinary collaboration and knowledge-sharing essential for solving complex indoor environmental challenges.
• Fine dust particles in India serve as vehicles for microorganisms, particularly fungal spores, creating unique indoor air quality challenges • Western building standards cannot be directly applied to Indian conditions due to different climatic zones, building construction methods, and microbial ecology • The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical need for multidisciplinary collaboration between engineers, medical professionals, and scientists • Decontamination through methods like hydrogen peroxide is often more effective than filtration alone, as filters can accumulate living microorganisms • The ISIAC Healthy Buildings 2025 Conference in Hyderabad will feature oral presentations, workshops, keynote speakers, and special sessions for students • An Indian chapter of ISIAC will be launched during the conference to continue building networks and sharing knowledge after the event • India's healthcare sector is growing rapidly with over 55,000 hospitals, creating significant demand for indoor air quality expertise
Register for the ISIAC Healthy Buildings Conference 2025 in Hyderabad, India (August 18-22) at healthybuildings2025.org before July 31st to secure your spot at this landmark event bringing together global and local experts in indoor environmental quality.
Can you trust those affordable radon detectors? Do you really need to wait a whole year to know if your home has dangerous radon levels?
The latest episode of Air Quality Matters tackles these critical questions through a deep dive into groundbreaking research by Joan F. Ray and colleagues. Their paper, "Performance Evaluation of Radon Measurement Techniques in Single-Family Homes," challenges conventional wisdom about radon testing and brings encouraging news for homeowners everywhere.
We explore how this invisible, odorless radioactive gas poses serious health risks as the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, yet detecting it has traditionally been a slow, expensive process. The study's real-world field testing across 20 Swiss homes reveals two game-changing findings: first, three-month winter measurements correlate remarkably well with full-year averages, potentially eliminating the need for year-long testing periods; second, affordable consumer-grade electronic monitors, while less precise than professional equipment, still perform adequately for their intended purpose.
This democratisation of radon detection puts powerful health monitoring capabilities directly into homeowners' hands without breaking the bank. The research provides a pragmatic path forward, expanding our toolkit beyond rigid protocols to smarter, faster ways of ensuring our living spaces are safe. From my personal experience using both traditional and electronic monitoring methods, I can affirm that consumer-grade products work effectively when used properly – focusing on monthly rather than daily averages to account for radon's fluctuations.
"The lungs of our buildings are failing us." These sobering words from ventilation expert Nathan Wood capture the essence of a critical conversation about the silent crisis happening behind our walls.
After inspecting countless ventilation systems across the UK, Nathan reveals the disturbing reality that approximately 75% of residential ventilation systems are fundamentally failing to perform as designed, not just minor issues, but catastrophic failures that compromise health and safety.
Unlike plumbing leaks that create visible puddles or electrical faults that trip breakers, ventilation failures operate invisibly, silently harming occupants over years or decades. While regulations and standards continue to evolve, the practical reality on the ground shows an industry plagued by poor installation practices, inadequate maintenance, and a profound lack of accountability.
From flexible ducting crushed beyond functionality to fans venting into wall cavities rather than outside, these aren't isolated incidents but systemic failures documented daily.
The conversation explores why this crisis persists despite the solutions being relatively straightforward. A perfect storm of factors contributes: no established pathway to competency for installers, housing organisations without dedicated ventilation maintenance budgets, manufacturers focused on product sales rather than performance outcomes, and consumers who don't know what questions to ask. The experts propose practical solutions, including outcome-based specifications, proper training pathways, manufacturer accountability for installation quality, and reframing ventilation as a "safety critical aspect" of building performance.
What makes someone download an air quality monitoring app and actually keep using it? The answer might surprise you.
In this eye-opening exploration of a fascinating study from Indonesia, we dive deep into the psychology behind environmental technology adoption. The research, published in the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, reveals that enjoyment—not usefulness—is the single most powerful driver of air quality app usage.
Examining responses from over 370 users, researchers discovered that creating an engaging, even fun experience trumps both functionality and ease of use. Meanwhile, a person's general attitude toward technology (their "technology readiness") dramatically impacts whether they'll embrace these potentially life-saving tools. Someone who's naturally tech-optimistic approaches these apps completely differently than someone who's privacy-concerned or technology-hesitant.
The implications are profound for developers, public health officials, and anyone working in environmental technology. The study shows that no matter how accurate your air quality data might be, if the experience isn't engaging, users simply won't stick around. It's a powerful reminder that even with the most serious health and environmental technologies, the human elements—enjoyment, habit, and emotion—often determine success or failure.
Has your experience with environmental apps matched these findings? Try paying attention to which apps you actually use regularly versus those that sit forgotten on your phone, and you might discover your own patterns that confirm this research.
What really happens in a child's body during a severe asthma attack? Dr. Abigail Whitehouse, pediatric respiratory consultant, takes us on a sobering journey through the physiology of asthma, beginning with a paramedic's memory of a late-night emergency.
The conversation reveals the hidden mechanisms of respiratory distress—airways becoming increasingly constricted as immune cells flood lung tissues, creating a life-threatening situation where medication becomes ineffective and oxygen levels plummet. We learn that asthma development involves a complex interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers that "switch" the immune system's response.
Dr. Whitehouse shares insights from her environmental health clinic, where she's pioneering approaches that look beyond medication to address the root causes of respiratory illness. The discussion uncovers disturbing connections between air pollution, poor housing conditions, and asthma mortality rates, revealing how social inequalities create disproportionate health burdens.
Most powerfully, she challenges the acceptance of ongoing symptoms, emphasising that proper asthma management should aim for complete symptom elimination. For parents, healthcare providers, and anyone concerned about respiratory health, this episode offers critical knowledge about warning signs, proper inhaler use, and the environmental factors that could mean the difference between life and death during an asthma emergency.
Gabriel Rojas and colleagues' comprehensive review examines indoor air quality in over 600 Passive Houses, revealing that properly-designed mechanical ventilation systems generally outperform conventional housing for background pollutants like CO2, VOCs and radon. Quality control makes a dramatic difference - a UK study found 100% of certified Passive Houses met required airflows while only 47% of non-certified MVHR homes even met basic building regulations.
• Certified Passive Houses show consistently better ventilation performance than non-certified buildings with similar technology • Quality assurance processes are essential, not optional extras • Cooking pollution creates a significant blind spot in Passive House design • Recirculating cooker hoods fail to capture harmful PM2.5 particles, which remain trapped in airtight spaces • New Passive House guidance now strongly recommends extracting cooker hoods venting outside • Proper makeup air systems must be balanced with kitchen extraction • Both certification rigor and comprehensive pollutant management are necessary for truly healthy homes
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#88 Richard Blakeway: Damp, Mould, and the Balance of Power and Fairness
17 Sep 2025
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Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman for England, takes us on a profound journey through the evolving landscape of social housing complaints and the critical issue of damp and mould that has transformed the sector.
"Home is a really emotional place," Richard explains, capturing the essence of why housing complaints differ from those in other sectors. With an inquiry reaching the Ombudsman approximately every 20 seconds, the scale of housing issues becomes starkly apparent. As an advocate for fairness, the Housing Ombudsman exists to address power imbalances between landlords and residents, particularly in a housing crisis where residents have limited choice and voice.
The conversation delves into how the Ombudsman's spotlight on damp and mould has shifted industry practices. Before the tragic death of Awaab Ishak, the Ombudsman noticed they weren't seeing enough damp and mould complaints relative to other housing quality indicators – suggesting these serious issues weren't being adequately addressed. The subsequent cultural shift has been remarkable, with Richard noting: "One thing I have seen less of is tenant blaming... that suggests there's been a change in behaviors."
Perhaps most revealing is his insight into what good practice looks like – culture, leadership, curiosity, and empathy forming the foundation for effective housing management. The implementation of Awaab's Law this autumn represents a pivotal moment, though Blakeway cautions against treating it as a "bolt-on" rather than integrating it into a comprehensive framework for housing quality.
Looking toward the future, he emphasizes the importance of data and technology in moving from reactive to predictive maintenance models. While complaint volumes continue to rise (35% increase in the last financial year), he hopes to eventually see the uphold rate decline ahead of case volumes – indicating real improvement in local resolution and rebuilding trust.
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The economic value of healthy buildings represents one of the greatest untapped frontiers in our quest for better indoor environments. While we've mastered the technical aspects of creating healthier spaces, convincing decision-makers to invest remains challenging without clear financial metrics.
Stefan Flagner, an economics researcher with a PhD spanning economics and health sciences, brings a unique perspective to this conversation. As co-author of "10 Questions Concerning the Economics of Indoor Environmental Quality in Buildings," Stefan explores how we can quantify and communicate the return on investment for healthy building initiatives. His research reveals we're at a critical juncture—similar to where energy efficiency stood two decades ago—where the business case exists but needs stronger articulation.
The discussion examines several fascinating aspects of this challenge: the split incentives between building owners and occupants, the difficulty in measuring productivity impacts across different industries, and the need for more robust field studies rather than relying solely on laboratory evidence. Stefan highlights how interdisciplinary approaches combining economics, engineering, and health sciences are essential yet surprisingly rare in research.
What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Stefan's focus on practical applications. Rather than targeting companies already investing in premium spaces, he emphasises reaching conservative business owners with limited capital who need hard numbers to justify investments. The path forward requires better data collection, post-occupancy evaluations, and tools that allow businesses to calculate potential returns based on their specific circumstances.
Ready to discover how the economics of healthy buildings could transform our approach to indoor environments? This episode provides crucial insights for anyone involved in building design, management, investment, or occupational health.
We dive into a fascinating paper that quantifies respiratory disease burden from formaldehyde, damp and mold in English housing. Using Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) as a metric, researchers reveal the hidden health costs of poor housing conditions while highlighting significant data gaps that could mean we're vastly underestimating the problem.
• Formaldehyde exposure in English homes associated with approximately 4,000 new childhood asthma cases (800 DALYs) in 2019 • Official surveys indicate 4% of English homes have significant damp/mold problems • Damp and mold exposure linked to 5,000 new asthma cases and 8,500 respiratory infections (2,800 DALYs) • Alternative data suggests up to 27% of homes might have damp issues, potentially making the health burden 3-8 times higher • Clear pattern of inequality shows low-income households and ethnic minorities bear greater burden • Research highlights urgent need for better national surveillance of indoor environments • Paper provides a framework for understanding housing as a quantifiable public health and equity issue
The landmark ImpAQS study examining ventilation and air quality in 1,200 Austrian schools reveals widespread failure to meet minimum standards, with at least 25% of classrooms unable to maintain acceptable CO2 levels during operational hours.
Professor Rob McLeod discusses how this comprehensive year-long study uncovered significant disparities in ventilation effectiveness between schools, creating an "air quality lottery" for students and teachers.
• Comprehensive monitoring of CO2, temperature, and humidity across all nine Austrian federal regions throughout the 2023-2024 school year • Matched pair study comparing 600 classrooms with visible CO2 monitors against 600 control rooms with hidden sensors • Only 10% of Austrian schools have mechanical ventilation systems, with most relying entirely on natural ventilation • CO2 monitors dramatically improve ventilation behaviours, with over 90% of classrooms spontaneously appointing student "ventilation champions" • Cultural resistance and misconceptions about ventilation creating barriers to proper air exchange • Occupant density as a critical factor, with special schools providing 3+ square meters per student achieving superior air quality • Outdoor air pollution near schools often exceeding WHO guidelines, complicating ventilation strategies • Need for national-level intervention rather than leaving air quality challenges to individual schools • Disparities between schools creating educational and health inequalities that require systematic triaging of solutions
Research reveals that a mother's exposure to air pollution during pregnancy could significantly increases her child's risk of developing asthma, suggesting that our respiratory health journey begins before we take our first breath.
The study conducted in China tracked mothers and their children from 2015-2018, analyzing exposure to various pollutants throughout different stages of pregnancy.
• PM2.5 exposure during the second trimester is strongly linked to childhood asthma development • PM10 exposure in the third trimester is similarly associated with increased asthma risk • Sulfur dioxide exposure throughout pregnancy correlates with higher asthma rates • Nitrogen dioxide shows complex effects, with first trimester exposure increasing risk • Findings suggest preventative health measures may need to begin nine months earlier • Results highlight the need for stronger environmental regulations to protect pregnant women • Clean air represents a right for future generations that begins before birth
Indoor environmental quality is about more than just air quality – it encompasses everything our sensory systems experience within built environments. This knowledge provides a framework for creating healthier, more human-centered buildings.
• Indoor environmental quality encompasses thermal comfort, acoustics, lighting, vibration, odors, microbiome, and water quality • Neuroscience can help us understand how our brains respond to environmental stressors even when we don't consciously perceive them • The disconnect between building sciences and health sciences despite sharing a common focus on human occupants • Building codes represent minimum standards that unfortunately become maximum efforts in profit-driven construction • Most buildings under 20,000 square feet have no specialised environmental design input • Designing for lifetime housing should include environmental considerations for aging and illness • Performance measurement and accountability could drive significant improvements in building quality • Museums carefully control environments for artefacts, while homes expose both valuables and people to harmful conditions • Education about healthy environments could help consumers demand better spaces
Research establishes a direct link between classroom air quality and student attendance rates through a comprehensive study of 144 classrooms across 31 Midwestern elementary schools. The findings provide compelling evidence that improved ventilation and lower PM2.5 levels significantly reduce illness-related absences, even at pollution levels previously considered acceptable.
• For every 1 L/s/person increase in ventilation rate, classrooms experienced 5.6 fewer absence days annually • Average school ventilation rate (5.5 L/s/person) fell below ASHRAE's recommended standard of 7 L/s/person • Each 1 μg/m³ increase in indoor PM2.5 corresponded to over 7 additional absence days per classroom per year • Negative health effects occurred at PM2.5 levels below previous "acceptable" thresholds (mean: 3.6 μg/m³) • Investing in school HVAC improvements represents a direct intervention to improve student attendance and achievement • Benefits extend beyond education to public health, academic equity, and economic advantages for families • Improved ventilation and filtration systems build resilience against future airborne health challenges
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Imagine if you could actually see how viruses and bacteria move through the air in a building. That's exactly what Safe Traces technology allows us to do, and the implications for public health and building performance are profound. In this eye-opening conversation, CEO Eric Malmstrom reveals how his company's DNA-tagging technology is transforming our understanding of airborne infection risk.
Born from bioterrorism concerns after 9/11, Safe Traces developed surrogate challenge agents that safely simulate how pathogens behave in real-world environments. By releasing these DNA-tagged particles in buildings and tracking their movement, they can visualize infection pathways that were previously invisible. This empirical approach reveals surprising truths about our buildings: many modern facilities are dramatically overventilated (wasting energy without improving safety), while schools and older buildings often have dangerous gaps in protection that simple interventions could fix.
What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Malmstrom's firsthand experience deploying this technology across diverse environments—from healthcare facilities to schools, offices to prisons. The patterns he's observed challenge conventional wisdom about ventilation rates, air disinfection efficacy, and the relationship between building codes and actual health outcomes. His military background brings a unique perspective on risk management and resilience that enriches the discussion.
The most exciting revelation? We're on the cusp of a revolution in aerobiology technology, with real-time pathogen detection systems just months away from deployment. Combined with growing momentum toward mandatory indoor air quality standards, we may finally be approaching meaningful change in how we design and operate our buildings to protect public health.
What happens when the air inside your home is slowly making you sick? For millions of people living in social housing across developing nations, this isn't a hypothetical question—it's daily reality.
A review published in Applied Sciences reveals the shocking reality about indoor air quality in social housing throughout low and middle-income countries. The numbers are staggering: PM2.5 levels reaching 1,360 micrograms per cubic meter during cooking (90 times higher than WHO guidelines), carbon monoxide peaking at 150 parts per million, and formaldehyde concentrations nearly 5 times safe limits.
Behind these statistics are real people—predominantly women and children—suffering disproportionate exposure to harmful pollutants. The culprits? A perfect storm of low-cost building materials that off-gas chemicals, inadequate ventilation, solid fuel use for cooking and heating, and overcrowded living conditions. Even when families move from slums to public housing, pollution levels often remain dangerously high.
The research points to promising solutions through bioclimatic design strategies like cross-ventilation and proper shading, but highlights a critical reality: we can't simply transplant high-income country solutions to these contexts. Effective interventions must consider regional climate differences, cultural practices around cooking and heating, and the economic realities that drive behavior.
Perhaps most importantly, this review reminds us that indoor air quality isn't merely a technical challenge—it's fundamentally about social equity and human rights. As one researcher notes, "When we talk about the right to housing, we must include the right to healthy indoor environments."
Whether you're involved in public health, architecture, international development, or simply care about global health equity, this episode offers vital insights into an overlooked crisis affecting millions worldwide. Subscribe now and join us in exploring how we can ensure that clean air at home becomes a universal right, not a privilege.
What distinguishes a truly healthy building from one that simply meets minimum code requirements? In this conversation with Sarah Gudeman, Principal and Practice Lead at Branch Pattern, we explore the critical intersection where engineering expertise meets human-centered design in the pursuit of better built environments.
Sarah brings a refreshingly practical perspective to the often theoretical world of indoor air quality and sustainability. As she explains, "Code compliant is just not illegal. It's the lowest bar we can design to." This fundamental truth underscores the gap between what's legally acceptable and what's truly optimal for human health and wellbeing in our buildings.
The conversation looks into the challenges practitioners face when implementing healthy building strategies. From establishing clear guiding principles at project outset to navigating the complex dynamics of project teams, Sarah reveals how the "peopling" aspect of consulting work often proves more challenging than the technical engineering. Her insights on building psychological safety within teams highlight how admitting knowledge gaps creates space for collaborative problem-solving rather than siloed thinking.
Particularly fascinating is Sarah's discussion of the evolution in air quality monitoring, where point-in-time testing is increasingly supplemented by continuous monitoring systems. Yet this technological advance brings its own challenges: "You've got this dashboard with sensors flashing green and red at you. When do you know who to call and what kind of skill set should they have?" The question cuts to the heart of building operations, where even the most sophisticated technology requires human interpretation and action.
Whether you're a building professional seeking to elevate your approach, a facility manager trying to make sense of air quality data, or simply someone who cares about the spaces where we spend 90% of our lives, this conversation offers valuable perspective on creating environments that truly enhance human health and experience.
Ever wondered why you sometimes struggle to focus when working from home? We dive into fascinating new research that connects the invisible elements of our home environments to how well our brains function during remote work.
This episode explores groundbreaking 2024 research fromAnna s. Young and colleagues who monitored over 200 remote workers for an entire year, tracking how their home's air quality and temperature affected their thinking abilities. The findings reveal a surprising "Goldilocks zone" for optimal brain performance – with temperatures around 23°C (73°F) proving ideal for creative thinking and cognitive speed. Too warm or too cold, and our mental performance measurably declines. We also examine how carbon dioxide levels, even when relatively low compared to crowded offices, might still subtly impact our ability to think clearly and solve problems.
The implications extend far beyond personal comfort. As remote work becomes a permanent fixture in our professional landscape, these findings challenge us to reconsider what makes a truly productive home office environment. It's not just about ergonomic furniture and fast internet – the quality of air you breathe and the temperature you sit in could be making or breaking your workday. Could simple adjustments like opening a window or tweaking your thermostat give you a cognitive edge? Listen to discover practical insights for optimizing your home workspace for better thinking, focus, and creativity. Your brain (and your productivity) will thank you!
What if the very standards designed to keep us comfortable in buildings are actually making us unhealthy? This provocative question lies at the heart of groundbreaking research from Delft University of Technology.
It challenges the fundamental assumptions that have guided building science for decades. Even when our buildings meet all current standards for temperature, lighting, acoustics, and air quality—and even when occupants report feeling comfortable—the fact remains that spending 90% of our lives indoors may be harming our health.
The problem stems from our reliance on simplistic "single dose-response" models that isolate individual stressors like CO2 or temperature. These models fail on three fronts: they prioritise preventing short-term discomfort over promoting long-term health, they ignore how environmental factors interact with each other, and they're based on an "average person" who doesn't actually exist. The thermal comfort example is particularly striking—our pursuit of thermally neutral environments might be contributing to obesity by never challenging our bodies to regulate their own temperature.
Professor Bluyssen advocates for a shift toward "situation modeling"—a holistic approach that considers the entire context of environment, individual, and activity. Her field studies reveal just how diverse our environmental preferences are, even within shared spaces like classrooms. When a teacher opens a window, it might please some students while making others miserable by letting in traffic noise.
The path forward isn't about finding magic numbers for ventilation rates or perfect temperatures. It's about creating flexible, adaptive spaces that accommodate our diverse needs and give us greater control over our environments. Though this approach is more complex, it represents our best chance at designing indoor spaces that truly support human health and wellbeing rather than merely preventing immediate discomfort.
What if the air you breathe at work is silently shaping your performance, creativity, and health? Harvard's Dr. Joseph Allen has become the leading voice connecting building science with human potential - showing how something as simple as better ventilation can transform productivity while protecting health.
In this wide-ranging conversation, he reveals why healthy buildings remain a financial no-brainer, pointing to his research demonstrating that even small improvements translate to substantial bottom-line returns. "If you do the cost-benefit analysis, the benefits are 10x over the cost," Joe explains, sharing how forward-thinking companies leverage building performance to attract employees back to offices.
The pandemic fundamentally shifted how building air quality is perceived, elevating these decisions to C-suite conversations. Today, we're witnessing what he calls a "flight to quality", where buildings with superior air quality command premium rents while others struggle. Yet making these improvements isn't just for showcase headquarters - he demonstrates how modest investments can dramatically improve even challenging buildings.
Allen also shares fascinating insights from his research following the Los Angeles wildfires. As climate events intensify, buildings must increasingly serve as shields against environmental threats—a protection that depends entirely on our design decisions today.
This episode offers unprecedented clarity on the connection between our built environments and human flourishing. Whether you're responsible for workplace strategy, building management, or simply care about optimizing your own environment, you'll gain actionable perspectives on creating spaces where people truly thrive.
Imagine a technology that could silently work in the background, destroying harmful microbes in the air we breathe without harming us. That's the promise of Far-UVC light at 222 nanometers, and groundbreaking room-scale research just brought this closer to reality.
Hospital-acquired infections alone cost the NHS £2.7 billion annually and affect hundreds of thousands of patients. While proper ventilation remains our first defense against airborne pathogens like TB, influenza, and COVID-19, the harsh truth is that many buildings struggle to meet modern ventilation standards. Retrofitting these structures often proves prohibitively expensive or physically impossible, creating an urgent need for complementary solutions.
Far-UVC technology stands out because, unlike traditional ultraviolet light, current evidence suggests it doesn't harm human skin or eyes when used properly. This means it could potentially operate in occupied rooms—a massive advantage over conventional UV systems. The University of Leeds study demonstrated remarkable results in a hospital room-sized chamber, with bacterial reductions of up to 97.8% using five Far-UVC lamps. Most impressively, the technology showed greatest benefit in poorly ventilated spaces, exactly where alternative solutions are most needed.
The research tested various scenarios, changing ventilation rates and airflow patterns while continuously introducing aerosolized bacteria to simulate a person shedding pathogens. Even at low ventilation rates of 1.5 air changes per hour, bacteria levels dropped to barely detectable amounts with five lamps. While further research is needed to test effectiveness against viruses in real-world settings, these results paint a promising picture of Far-UVC as a powerful new tool in our infection control arsenal. Could this technology transform how we protect vulnerable spaces like hospitals, schools, and nursing homes? The evidence suggests the future looks bright—or should we say, ultraviolet.
Subscribe to our podcast to stay updated on the latest advances in air quality science and technologies that could reshape how we create healthier indoor environments.
What happens when a pediatrician who codes and a psychologist studying technology acceptance walk into a built environment conference? Sometimes the most illuminating perspectives come from the margins.
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Olivia Swan, a pediatric infectious disease consultant and data scientist, and Dan Bowers, head of Psychology at the University of South Wales, to explore the fascinating intersection of human behaviour, health, and our built spaces.
Livvy shares how her frustration with seeing the same children repeatedly hospitalised with respiratory issues from cold, damp homes drove her to harness data science to find solutions. "Preschool children are like canaries in the coal mine," she explains, with their rapid breathing rates making them particularly vulnerable to poor indoor air quality. These early exposures can set children up for lifelong respiratory problems, yet medical training rarely focuses on housing as a critical health factor.
Meanwhile, Dan reveals fascinating insights from his research on technology acceptance in social housing. What happens when new ventilation or heating systems are installed without adequate tenant engagement? The psychological dynamics of adoption become crucial, especially when residents lack agency in the decision-making process. "It's not just what the technology does," Bowers explains, "but what your neighbours and community think about it that drives acceptance."
The conversation tackles a perplexing question: why doesn't indoor air quality receive the same attention as other comparable health risks like smoking, despite causing similar harm? The invisible nature of air pollution creates a psychological blind spot, especially when many sources of indoor pollutants (cooking, candles, cleaning products) are associated with positive experiences.
This episode illuminates how truly interdisciplinary approaches might finally move the needle on these complex challenges. Whether you're a healthcare professional, work in housing, or simply care about creating healthier living environments, this conversation offers fresh perspectives on putting humans at the centre of the built environment.
We explore a paper examining the future of residential air quality and its environmental justice implications. This research highlights how poor indoor air quality disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities, creating a "triple jeopardy" of higher exposure, greater health burdens, and limited resources to address the problem.
• Indoor air can be more polluted than outdoor air, with pollutants coming from building materials, cleaning products, cooking, and outdoor air infiltration • We spend 90% of our time indoors, with 70% in our homes, making residential air quality crucial to our overall health • The environmental justice framework examines who is exposed to pollution and why through five dimensions: distributive, procedural, recognition, capabilities, and epistemic justice • Social inequalities lead to uneven exposure to poor indoor air quality, with lower socioeconomic groups often facing greater health risks • Climate change will worsen indoor air quality through higher temperatures, humidity, and changing outdoor pollution patterns • Net zero policies create tensions between energy efficiency and adequate ventilation for healthy indoor environments • New technologies like air purifiers may create further inequalities if not accessible to all communities
Clean indoor air for everyone is both a technical and social challenge that requires bringing together researchers, policymakers, and communities to develop equitable solutions. See you next week.
Have you ever wondered what's really happening in the air around us? In this captivating conversation with Professor John Wenger of University College Cork, we dive into the hidden chemistry that shapes our atmosphere and affects our health in ways most of us never consider.
At the heart of our discussion is the fascinating world of hydroxyl radicals – nature's invisible cleaning crew that exists at just one part per trillion in our air yet drives fundamental atmospheric reactions. These tiny, highly reactive molecules transform pollutants, create ozone, and even influence cloud formation that affects our climate. Professor Wenger shares insights from the groundbreaking EU-funded Radical Project, which developed innovative sensors to detect these previously unmeasurable atmospheric components.
The conversation shifts to real-world air pollution challenges across Ireland, where Professor Wenger's research identified how solid fuel burning creates dangerous particulate pollution spikes during winter evenings. We explore how valleys like Enniscorthy can experience pollution levels rivaling those in heavily polluted global cities, though these spikes typically last just a few hours each evening. The good news? Low-cost sensor networks are revolutionizing our ability to identify these pollution patterns and empower communities with information.
Perhaps most compelling is our discussion about the pandemic's lessons regarding indoor air quality and the ethical questions it raises. Professor Wenger reflects on how vulnerable populations continue to face accessibility challenges in public spaces due to air quality concerns, drawing parallels to other accessibility rights issues. The episode highlights how understanding air chemistry isn't just academic – it directly impacts public health policy, building design, and even questions of social justice.
Whether you're interested in environmental science, public health, or simply curious about what's in the air you breathe, this conversation offers accessible insights into complex chemistry that affects us all. Subscribe to Air Quality Matters for more discussions that bridge scientific understanding with practical solutions for healthier environments.
What drives someone to spend two decades studying the air we breathe indoors? In this conversation, I sit down with Asit Kumar Mishra, a research fellow at University College Cork, to explore the fascinating world behind the research that shapes our built environments.
Asit takes us on a journey from his early days as a mechanical engineering student in India to becoming an internationally recognized researcher in building ventilation, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality. Rather than focusing solely on research outcomes, this conversation delves into the process itself – the challenges, motivations, and profound satisfaction that comes from answering questions that directly impact people's health and wellbeing.
"Most of the days, probably 60-80% of the days will not end up as you expected," Asit reveals, highlighting the persistence required in scientific inquiry. Yet it's the human connection that keeps him coming back – whether explaining to worried parents how to protect vulnerable family members during a pandemic or discovering through conversations with schoolchildren that unexplained sensor readings were caused by dancing in the classroom.
The discussion shifts between practical research methods and philosophical reflections on knowledge communication. Asit, who describes himself as naturally introverted, finds unexpected joy in public engagement: "If I cannot explain it to an eight-year-old, then maybe I don't understand it well enough myself." This commitment to clarity resonates throughout his work, especially in his current project, developing classroom designs that can adapt to public health challenges without requiring school closures.
For anyone curious about how research shapes the spaces we inhabit, this episode offers rare insights into both the scientific process and the passionate individuals driving it forward. Tune in to gain a deeper appreciation for the intersection of engineering, public health, and the built environment that affects us all every day.