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-allen/
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-air-cleaner-calculator/
Protecting your Health from Wildfire Smoke – Spotlight on Filters | https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthybuildings/2023/08/15/protecting-your-health-from-wildfire-smoke-spotlight-on-filters/
Professor Joe Allen’s book Healthy Buildings is available where books are sold.
Prof. Allen on X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/j_g_allen
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After we've cleaned the air so well will we run into what happened with the peanut allergies?
There are many low cost FAKE air quality sensors/monitors.
Kyle, so good to see you—you look great!! Thanks for another great episode on healthy indoor air!
What about the study showing essential oils in the air being beneficial for cognition?
Multiple smaller portable air cleaners for a large room can be better than one larger portable unit.
No talk of air ionization for smoke.
Really quite obvious that the Dr. is just repeating talking points he repeats all day, without really listening to your questions.
Always sad when otherwise informative experts have been basically overused to that level.
I love this! Indoor air quality is such an underrated aspect of healthy living. As a piano teacher I have to share a building with other music teachers with each of us in tiny rooms with little ventilation. The priority is sound insulation so leaving the door open isn’t an option. Air purifiers and houseplants are a must!
I heard a brilliant saying from the UK back in 2020 that didn’t seem to catch on as much here in the US: “hands, face, space, ventilate” (wash your hands frequently, cover your cough or wear a mask, avoid crowded places or practice social distancing, and crack those windows!). It’s that fourth part that nobody is aware of. I live in San Francisco so it can get a little cold but it’s never freezing. I don’t know how many times in the last couple years I’ve walked into a business and asked why the door isn’t propped open. The response is usually confusion and I’m asked if I’m feeling too hot.
There’s also a lot a simple fan can do for just moving the air around. Placement is key! I used to think putting it near a window facing out (to somehow suck the bad air out) but according to experts there’s a better way. If you put a small fan on the far side of the room pointed towards the center of the room you can get more movement of the air in the room. It changes the air in room more! Keeping any windows cracked as much as possible and leaving doors open is crucial.
When others complain that they’re cold and shut doors/windows I’m always tempted to tell them to wear more clothes or stop being so sedentary. People aren’t so concerned with clean indoor air unfortunately.
Love this! Sad that it took a pandemic to encourage us to think about indoor air quality and its impact on our health/performance. But hopefully we'll start giving the air we breathe as much attention as we do the water we drink.
There's also the particles emitted from furniture. Especially harmful, is the water proof protectant. I run a 20 x 20 box fan, with a 20x20x1 furnace filter sucked up to it. Low setting. It cuts alot of dust. Now I double it.
Finally, we're starting to put the focus on the importance of indoor air quality that it deserves.
Thank you for this topic. Although I have no degree I am an expert at indoor air quality as 35 years ago I contracted MCS. Multiple chemical sensitivity. If you live in a small space with many people your air quality will be compromised faster as the co2 is way too high. Your home does not create oxygen unless you live in a greenhouse. We breath in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. The rate of air exchange will not keep up with the mounting co2. That stale smell in your bedroom in the morning…..not good, open your windows if you can. I live in Ottawa and experienced my first super toxic air from our fires. Not only do i have a hepa filtration on my furace I own an IQAir stand alone hepa filter which saved me big time. We had days of over 400 and our air is usually under 40. The only negative to the stand alone units and they are noisy. The one on my furnace is not, just the furnace fan. Use California standard offgassing standards on your indoor products….floors, cupboards furniture etc. Wilfire smoke is a big problem. Good guest info🇨🇦🙏. Also the best killer of viruses is ultra violet. You can get tubes to add to the filtration system. I had this in another home and no flu passed around the family very often
I cook outside as much as possible and have install a cooktop vent that vents to the outside and also brings in fresh air while the vent is turned on. I have a whole house fan and need to design a system that allows me to install a furnace filter on the windows to trap all the dust being sucked in by the whole house fan. I also bought back in 2018 P100 mask to filter out the wild fire smoke that was very heavy in 2018 in the west. These filters worked and were wonderful during the covid time too. Replacement filters were hard to get during covid, so buy now.
Thank you!! Good intel! 😊
What does an air filter hooked up to my furnace do in the summer? The furnace isn’t running. Do i need the fan on?
I didn't mean to harm him, it was just an off the cuff insight.
Are there MERV13 rated filters for swamp/evaporative coolers?
All great advice, but regular filters should be changed at least every 3 months, not 6-12 months, as that's way too long, and the filter will be plugged.
As a person who loves to eat, and cook, I have always been horrified and disappointed by kitchen exhaust fans in residential homes. When remodeling we put in a properly sized fan and the air is so much better. I wanted to be able to move the area above the stove, and in front of my face about 30sqft within a few seconds, for those times when cooking gets smoky. It can run lower most of the cooking time, but can get kicked up in an instant. My husband thought I was crazy to have such a big unit installed, but finally my food tastes great, and my lungs feel good. When it’s wildfire smoke season we just boil and steam, on electric, so all the cooking pollutants are contained in water and fall out of the air more quickly, and we don’t get oil in our lungs when we are relying on a smaller, more closed filter system.
My central AC has a 5" MERV 16 filter along with two UV lights, one for the evaporator to prevent mold and one for the air passing through the manifold. I leave the fan on most of the day to circulate the air through the filter and UV light.
3m Filtrete (1500 = MERV 12. 1900 = MERV 13). I make a sheet metal border filter retainer square around the intake grill on the front of the window AC unit so the air that is sucked into the unit must go through the filter. Example: Start with a 1 or 1.5 inch flat piece of thin sheet metal. Measure the outer dimensions of the intake grill for a good fit. Make a 90 degree bends in the border retainer so the filter is a tight fit. Cut a .5 inch at the corners so the border can bend around for a 90 degree corners. Then drill (carefully) small holes in corner to attach small screws to the retainer (or duck tape). Buy the biggest filter at the box store so you can to cut multiple filter for economics. Use tin snips or aviation snips to cut the filters. Done this for years. [ ]
I am just building a smart house system with fresh air intake controlled by co2 sensors, as well as automatic wildfire season air filters. Thank you so much for sharing this information, it will help me greatly understand the topic!
We have 2 Air Doctor 3000 air filters that do a good job. First one was for my wife's art studio to deal with VOCs. As well as it worked, we got a second one to move around.
I am part of a community group that built two PC Fan Corsi Rosenthal boxes for every classroom in our local elementary school . We also provided flyers with information on how to increase natural ventilation. After the first semester, the teachers gushed about how much of a difference they saw not only in reduced absences due to illness, but also in the kiddos' alertness. 🙌 An immunocompromised teacher was also very grateful because it helped her come to work with less risk of serious illness.
25:56 – – Joseph Allen – – Dir. Harvard Healthy Buildings Program • Assoc Professor of Exposure Assessment Science
25:32 – – outdoor-to-indoor air question (at odds w energy conservation?)
27:33 – – WHERE DOES HE THINK THE GRID GETS IT'S ENERGY ??? (27:47) – – "all electric" buildings + cars GET THEIR ENERGY FROM FOSSIL FUELS
Click …more (above in header) for complete drop-down menu of topics w time-stamps.🙂
I have a 7 month old baby in the house, and I live where wildfires occur perennially, so I have a Honeywell hepa filter just like the one pictured. We got it last year when I was pregnant and I replace the filters frequently. Our bedroom has 2 adults, 1 baby, and 2 dogs who all sleep in there, so we always either open the window or open the door to keep CO2 buildup low. Air quality permitting, we love to throw all the windows open.
Finally something good coming out of Harvard
So Cal: Pollution is Life.
Carpet type, flooring type, is also important. Some cut loop carpet will absorb particulates, and bare flooring causes particulates to bounce. Also what about ionizers.
Pulverized coal, fluidized coal power plants with mercury scrubbers and other cleaners can be like autos: the air coming out of a properly mantained catalytic exhaust system can clean dirty air. Fossil fuels are good, with good plants, bigger plants. Natural gas is also clean.
Did I miss the part regarding indoor plants? Which ones are most effective in cleaning indoor air.
I can't understand why ventilation as it relates to Covid wasn't ever in the news during Covid and now that Covid is in the news again. Its just all about masks.
I have an. April’s Air whole house system. These ware not cheap filters but never had on last a year 3 to 6 months even Merve 13. . What if your house is open in black which is 3/4 or 1025suare feet but the upstairs you can win up several upstairs. Built in 1985.
Home and even older commercial HVACS may not be able to handle MERV 11 or 13.
Another portable option is the DIY Corsi Rosenthal box. Designed and tested by scientists Corsi and Rosenthal. They were thinking mostly of schools that needed cheaper but effective to reduce could risk in classrooms, but it's good at home, too.
Does he have a mini Burj khalifa on the shelf?
1) LOVE his enthusiasm! 🥰 "the MAJORITY of your exposure to outdoor air actually occurs INDOORS!" YES! More and more people are starting to realize the quality of the air we breathe affects us NOT just today but takes a toll on our health over DECADES, as well! Gotta control and clean that indoor air!👍
2) That said, I 100% DISAGREE WITH HIS OPINION THAT YOU DISREGARD ANY AIR PURIFIER THAT FILTERS BETTER THAN HEPA! He is assuming ALL the Air purifiers on the market that say "HEPA" on the box actually perform at a HEPA Level. OVER 90% of the 'HEPA Air purifiers' on the market DO NOT perform at a HEPA LEVEL, IMO – because the industry is NOT regulated closely for HEPA performance. He, like the vast majority of people on YT assume all these air purifiers filter the same – it is NOT TRUE! The IQAir HealthPro Plus filters BETTER than HEPA and so does the Aeris 3 in 1 and maybe even the Airpura Super HEPA filters.
3) OVER 90% of the particles in the air we breathe are SMALLER than HEPA + the MOST DANGEROUS particles we breathe are SMALLER than HEPA. They are called "UltraFine Particles" – this has been confirmed by the CDC and WHO and many other air quality organizations throughout the world and I am actually kind of shocked he doesn't realize/know about this.
4) CADR ratings are also NOT to be trusted. DO NOT base your air purification purchase on CADR Ratings… Some of the best air purifiers on the market do NOT have CADR Ratings. 😀
Fresh air & sunshine 🌞 are important 400 cfms residential and 800 cfms commercial.
How does one know if they have a VOC problem? How would one measure VOCs to know whether they need a carbon filter? I live in the desert Southwest where opening windows in summer with 115+ degrees is impossible. What would be suggested in my case? We have a heat pump air conditioner/ heater. Thank you for this informative video😊
Here's a ChatGPT summary:
– Indoor air quality has a significant impact on health and cognitive performance.
– The majority of exposure to outdoor air pollution occurs indoors.
– Strategies to improve indoor air quality include using low-emitting products, venting stoves, opening windows, reducing dust and allergens, using green cleaners, and upgrading filtration.
– During periods of high air pollution or smoke, it is important to rely on filtration systems and upgrade filters to MERV-13 or higher.
– Filters that rely on an electrostatic charge can be less effective, especially with wildfire smoke, and should be replaced after smoke events.
– Portable HEPA air cleaners are effective in improving indoor air quality, and the size of the device should be appropriate for the room.
– The goal is to achieve 4-6 air changes per hour to constantly clean the air.
– Carbon filters can help with volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but they can saturate and become less effective over time.
– Optimal indoor air quality is not at odds with energy conservation, and there are solutions to improve both.
– Poor indoor air quality can negatively impact cognitive function in schools and workplaces.
– Affordable air quality sensors are available for individuals to monitor indoor air quality, particularly CO2 levels.
– High CO2 levels in schools can be a problem and should be addressed.
– Real-time air quality monitoring systems are being implemented in some schools to provide data to parents and the public.
18:50 is the air change rating given for the air purifier unit when it is on its max fan speed?
Great interview. I use dinky MERV 5 filters to be kind to my ancient HVAC unit which has been on non-stop during this relentless Texas summer but have multiple fans with HEPA filters running throughout the house. Hopefully that's equivalent to running a higher MERV filter in the HVAC itself.
Ikea has an air monitor for less than $100.
For CO2, the only way to address that is ventilation. Air cleaners and MERV filters won't address that.
I have an Awair air monitor and I open my windows whenever the CO2 gets high. Open windows brings up the PM in house, but using the monitor, I can manage that and only keep the windows open long enough to bring down the CO2.