Dr. Joe Allen joins MedCram to discuss HEPA and carbon filters, wildfire smoke, VOC off-gassing, MERV filters, ventilation, AQI, sick building syndrome, and the massive impact that our generally poor indoor air quality and indoor air pollution have on health, disease, and cognitive performance.

Joseph Allen, DSc, MPH is Associate Professor of Exposure Assessment Science at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Director of the Harvard Healthy Buildings Program. He is the Co-Author of Healthy Buildings. See his full bio here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/joseph-a...

Interviewer: Kyle Allred, Physician Assistant, Producer / Co-Founder of MedCram.com

TOPICS IN THIS VIDEO INCLUDE:

0:00 Interview Highlights
0:29 Introducing Joe Allen from Harvard School of Public Health
1:18 How much time the average person spends indoors
1:59 Indoor vs. outdoor sources of air pollution (off-gassing, cooking, etc.)
3:05 The majority of outdoor air pollution is breathed indoors
4:00 Practical strategies to improve indoor air quality
5:15 36 Expert tips for a healthier home
5:45 Wildfire smoke/pollution - can't open windows?
6:26 Upgrading to a MERV 13 filter
7:10 Portable air purifiers (cleaners) with HEPA and sizing
7:40 Where HVAC filters are located
8:52 Why MERV 13 specifically? Filtration particle capture size
10:00 How often should HVAC filters be changed?
10:23 Caution with electrostatically charged filters and wildfire smoke
12:07 Filters should generally be changed after a wildfire smoke event
13:10 Wildfire smoke season strategy for filters
14:13 Smoke can drift from fires thousands of miles
15:17 Coal air pollution drift
16:38 What to look for in a portable HEPA purifier?
17:45 CADR - The clean air delivery rate of HEPA purifiers
18:33 Air changes per hour
19:00 Average home/building and poor air quality
20:32 VOCs - volatile organic compounds
22:12 Maui fires and air quality after effects/respirators
23:37 Timing of filter use: Should they be on all day?
24:46 The dust cloud we create indoors
25:30 How to balance energy costs and indoor air quality?
26:50 Optimized buildings and achieving carbon neutrality
28:18 JP Morgan Chase all-electric building and ventilation
28:55 Cognitive performance and air quality
31:06 Air quality in cars and airplanes
33:21 How to measure indoor air quality?
35:02 Portable CO2 monitors
35:33 Low air quality in schools and health impacts
36:42 Wrapping up and where to find Dr. Joe Allen

(This video was recorded on August 30, 2023)

LINKS/REFERENCES:

Healthy Buildings Website | https://forhealth.org

36 Expert Tips for a Healthier Home Report | https://homes.forhealth.org

Portable Air Cleaner Sizing Tool | https://forhealth.org/tools/portable-...

Protecting your Health from Wildfire Smoke - Spotlight on Filters | https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthyb...

Professor Joe Allen's book Healthy Buildings is available where books are sold.

Prof. Allen on X (Twitter):   / j_g_allen  


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