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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.

Paper

Lead Author - D Booker

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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.

John Wenger LinkedIn

Radical Project

John Wenger UCC

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This 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.

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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.

Asit Kumar Mishra LinkedIn

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Check out the Air Quality Matters website for more information, updates and more. And the YouTube Channel

This Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.
21 Degrees
Aereco
Aico
Ultra Protect
InBiot

All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.