Send us a textThe 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.Stephan Flagner - LinkedIn 10 Questions Support the showCheck 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 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with. SafeTraces All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
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One Take #7 - Formaldehyde, Damp, and Mold in English Housing
Send us a textWe 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 issueThe Burden of Respiratory Disease from Formaldehyde, Dampand Mould in English HousingThanks a million to our sponsors, SafeTraces, and InBiot who make this podcast possible.Support the showCheck 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 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with. SafeTraces All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
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#78 Rob McLeod: 1,200 Classrooms Later: What We Learned About Air Quality in Schools ImpAQS
Send us a textThe 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 solutionsRob McLeod - LinkedInImpAQS ReportSupport the showCheck 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 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with. SafeTraces All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
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One Take #6 - Maternal Air Pollution Exposure: How It Shapes Your Child's Respiratory Future
Send us a textResearch 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 birthAssociation analysis of maternal exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and offspring asthma incidenceThanks a million to our sponsors, SafeTraces. This podcast would not be possible without their support.Support the showCheck 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 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with. SafeTraces All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
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#77 - Robert Bean: The Human Element and Building Better Spaces
Send us a textIndoor 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 spacesRobert Bean LinkedInEdifice Complex PodcastASHRAE Support the showCheck 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 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with. SafeTraces All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.
Air Quality Matters inside our buildings and out.This Podcast is about Indoor Air Quality, Outdoor Air Quality, Ventilation, and Health in our homes, workplaces, and education settings.And we already have many of the tools we need to make a difference.The conversations we have and how we share this knowledge is the key to our success.We speak with the leaders at the heart of this sector about them and their work, innovation and where this is all going.Air quality is the single most significant environmental risk we face to our health and wellbeing, and its impacts on us, our friends, our families, and society are profound.From housing to the workplace, education to healthcare, the quality of the air we breathe matters. Air Quality Matters
Ireland