Inside Air

What I am reading in October 2025 Energy Retrofits and Indoor Air Quality: A Critical Health Warning

✨ Read insights and actionable takeaways in the full October issue: medium.com/@INSIDE-AIR/...

💻 Remote workspaces are often failing environmental comfort standards, impacting wellbeing—it's time we prioritize positive sensory experiences at home.
😷 Simulations reveal airborne disease transmission indoors depends on cough direction, occupant position, and ventilation—distance isn’t enough!

🚀 October Highlights from INSIDE AIR 🚀
The October newsletter (apologies for the tardiness) dives into crucial new research on healthy indoor environments:
🏡 Irish homes retrofitted for energy efficiency may see indoor PM2.5 and formaldehyde rise

Unlike past ISIAQ conferences, HB2025 India is being led by people from the health side of things and not the building side. It promises to be an interesting and innovative cross disciplinary experience.
So, "Be there or be square" 🤣 hb2025.co.in/register.html

I am presenting and leading a workshop on designing classroom indoor climate studies of the future.
Let us meet up at Healthy Buildings 2025 - Hyderabad, India.
If it is your first time in Hyderabad, I promise a delightful food tour too!
#ISIAQ #HealthyBuildings2025 #HB2025India #SeeYouAtHyd

Let's discuss!
🙋 Have you noticed reactions after cleaning?
🤔 Would you try DIY alternatives if proven effective?
🔍 What's your biggest IAQ concern?
#IndoorAirQuality #HealthyHome 🏡💨 #CleaningScience 🧪🧼 #PublicHealth 🩺 #HiddenHazards ⚠️ #SustainableLiving 🌍

Could household cleaning products end up dirtying indoor air? When we clean, the goal is to remove dirt and germs, but in the process, we often introduce harmful chemicals into the air

This isn't just about cleanliness - it's about reclaiming our indoor ecosystems 🏡🌿. As we obsess over outdoor pollution 🏙️🌆, it's time to confront the silent health threat in our living rooms.
Read the full work, with actionable solutions: www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

💡 The empowering twist? Small changes make BIG differences:
* Strategic ventilation tactics 💨🌬️
* Science-backed product swaps 🧪➡️🍃
* Timing tricks to minimize exposure

* Respiratory health 🫁 (especially for children 🧒 and asthma sufferers)
* Long-term exposure risks ⚠️ from VOCs lingering weeks after cleaning
* Hidden dangers 🕵️ in "green" and "natural" marketed products

🏠🌫️ Your cleaning routine might be making your home's air WORSE
Many of us unknowingly pollute our home's air every time we clean. My latest article for
@RTEBrainstorm
discusses how common household products like sprays and disinfectants 🧼💨impacts:

What changes have you noticed in your local schools' approach to climate adaptation? What would you like them to focus on? I'd love to hear your thoughts in comments! 💭💬
#ClimateAdaptation #SchoolDesign #IndoorAirQuality #HealthyClassrooms #SustainableSchools

This isn't just about comfort—it's about creating optimal learning environments where our children can thrive regardless of external conditions! 👩‍🎓👨‍🎓🌱
While written for Irish schools in mind, the need to adapt to a warming globe is needed worldwide.

🔹Impact of rising temperatures on student learning and wellbeing 🧠💭
🔹 Practical solutions for adapting existing school infrastructure 🏢🔧
🔹 How indoor air quality monitoring can improve classroom environments 💨📊
🔹 Cost-effective approaches schools can implement now 💰⏱️

As our climate continues to change 🌍🌤️, many Irish schools—designed for traditionally cooler conditions—now face new challenges with higher temperatures and changing air quality. In the article, I explore:
🔹Why warming weather is especially problematic for young children 🧒

How Irish classrooms can deal with warmer weather Parents, educators and policymakers must treat classroom heat not as a seasonal inconvenience, but as a pressing public health issue

🏫 NEW ARTICLE: How Irish Schools Can Adapt to Rising Temperatures 🌡️🔥
I'm excited to share my latest piece for RTE Brainstorm examining how school classrooms across Ireland need to prepare for increasingly warmer weather patterns! 📝 www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

This is amazing, thanks for sharing.

Knowing the air you are breathing helps you take steps to improve it and this is a fantastic example 🙌

#IndoorAirQuality #CookingScience #Dosa #SmartHome #HealthyLiving #PM25 #AirQuality #KitchenHacks #HealthyBuildings #IAQMonitor

It can help you cook smarter and safer, alerting you when things are getting too hot, reminding you to open windows or turn on the exhaust fan, and ultimately reducing your family’s exposure to fine particulate matter. 🌬️🍽️

a cartoon character says science in front of a beaker and a grave ALT: a cartoon character says science in front of a beaker and a grave

Once I realized the pan was too hot, I adjusted the temperature and-voilà!-not only did I get better dosas, but my air quality improved too. 🙌
The key takeaway: an indoor climate monitor isn’t just for air quality geeks.

I learned this firsthand while experimenting with an oats-based dosa batter. My indoor climate monitor (the QP Pro 2 from @smartairuk.bsky.social) showed PM2.5 levels shooting up 🚨 as I struggled with an overheated pan.

a picture of a cat with the words really quite hot ALT: a picture of a cat with the words really quite hot

Too low, and your dosa won’t crisp up or lift easily; too high, and you risk burning it (and more than just your breakfast). What surprised me recently was discovering just how much air pollution can spike in the kitchen at those higher temperatures. 😮

a pancake is being cooked in a pan on a stove top ALT: a pancake is being cooked in a pan on a stove top

🥞 Dosa, PM2.5, and Indoor Climate Monitoring 🏠🌡️

Making a perfect dosa is as much about science as it is about culinary skill! 👩‍🍳👨‍🔬 To get that ideal crispy dosa, your pan needs to be just at the right temperature-around the Leidenfrost point.

How Irish classrooms can deal with warmer weather Parents, educators and policymakers must treat classroom heat not as a seasonal inconvenience, but as a pressing public health issue

Unseasonably warm May and June are going to be the norm as our world continues to heat up.
I discuss here why this is specifically an issue for young children and how classrooms - where children spend the most part of day - can adapt to these warmer days.
www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2...

Tragic! Autistic woman meets all job requirements except sparkling charisma An autistic woman who meets every one of a job's specifications has been left dismayed to discover she also needed a PhD in ungodly amounts of charm, it has been reported. Paige Thomas, 31, from Donca...

Paige Thomas, 31, from Doncaster, has three degrees and almost a decade of relevant experience – yet now admits she should have spent that time crafting a more superficially likeable personality.

#EngineersIreland #INSIDEAIR #DOROTHYCOFUND #IndoorAirQuality #Education #HealthyClassrooms #SustainableClassrooms #HealthyBuildings #Sustainability #Webinar

🙏 Special thanks to all our speakers and participants for making this a valuable session!

YouTube video by EngineersIreland Breathing better, learning better: Understanding and improving classroom indoor climate

Whether you’re an educator, parent, or simply passionate about student well-being, I invite you to watch the full webinar and discover how better indoor climate design can shape the future of education! 📚🌍
👉 Watch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odgk...

We explored:
✨ The evolution of classroom indoor climate
📊 The latest research from Irish schools
🏗️ Future design aspirations for healthier, more sustainable learning environments

This event, hosted with Engineers Ireland, West Region, as part of the INSIDE AIR project (DOROTHY-MSCA COFUND Fellowship), brought together leading experts and researchers:
Orla Hegarty (University College Dublin)
Adam Collison (University of Galway) and
James McGrath (Maynooth University)

🌟 Exciting News! The recording of our recent webinar, “Understanding and Improving Classroom Indoor Climate,” is now available on YouTube! 🎥

👉 Watch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Odgk...

Cover page of Report on Air Quality Test Results in New Brunswick Schools, prepared by Ryan Murphy using EECD air quality data. The full report can be accessed at a link contained in the post.

A sample of the Report's charts showing four years of air quality data from Norton Elementary School. In 2020 - 2021, peak values were 2806 PPM of carbon dioxide; in 2021 - 2022, it was 2493 PPM. A mechanical ventilation system was completed in October 2022. Following the installation, the 2022 - 2023 results were significantly lower, peaking at 902 PPM. Levels rose again the next year, with a peak of 1419 PPM.

Bayview School in Saint John was tested in 2020 - 2021, and scored a peak result that met the 1500 PPM guideline EECD uses. The school no longer qualified for testing in future years. When all schools were again tested, results were much worse. No data exists to determine if either of those results is an outlier, or what the air quality was like during the nearly three years of school days between tests.

Screen capture of a Department of Education & Early Childhood Development PDF chart showing the Air Quality Test Results for New Brunswick schools in the 2023 - 2024 school year.

Last month, EECD released the results of air quality testing from the 2023 - 2024 school year. Data was again presented as a PDF chart, making analysis difficult.

I used their data to create visuals and a report, of sorts. You can read the full report here (PDF on OneDrive):

buff.ly/msa9XeV