Join our monthly podcast where you can discover how clean air can affect the quality process for you and the workplace. Each month on the podcast, we speak with world experts about how controlling air can bring benefits to your company. From protecting the people in your building from the spread of airborne contaminants (such as viruses) to helping to protect your production process, products and the environment.
Measuring your indoor air quality will give you a better understanding of your filter needs, but older methods of intermittent and spot checks may not be the most efficient way to protect your occupants health.
Today we hear from an expert who advocates for the importance of real-time air quality monitoring, particularly in schools and similar settings. We learn how the dynamic nature of these buildings, including internal and external factors, requires a more sophisticated approach to air quality management and how HVAC systems can be better optimised to balance IAQ and energy output.
Our guest is passionate about the physical and cognitive benefits of IAQ management in educational settings, and is Founder and CEO of Attune, Dr. Serene Almomen.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
GUEST DETAILS
Dr. Serene Almomen is a prominent figure in the field of air quality monitoring and improvement, particularly focused on enhancing indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools.
As the co-founder and CEO of Attune (formerly Senseware), a high-growth technology company, Dr. Almomen has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions for IAQ monitoring[2][5].
Attune is an IoT, smart building solution that provides cost-effective and secure wireless solutions to collect data and control all mechanical, electrical, plumbing and environmental systems from your facility.
Social Media: Dr. Serene Almomen
QUOTES
We learned the hard way that it's a non-negotiable to have clean air that we breathe. You wouldn't drink water if you see that it's dirty. - Dr. Serene Almomen
There are so many dynamic things that are happening externally and internally, that the spot checks would just not capture that. That's where real time becomes really important. - Dr. Serene Almomen
Now, we know that there are multiple sensors that are important and each sensor ties to different aspects of how we're cleaning the air and optimizing indoor air quality in indoor spaces. - Dr. Serene Almomen
What we do to simplify the contaminants is tied to ventilation. So we give a ventilation score versus air quality score. And that's more practical, reasonable and effective. - Dr. Serene Almomen
ABOUT CAMFIL’S CAO INITIATIVE
The Chief Airgonomics Officer initiative was started by Camfil, a leading manufacturer in premium clean air solutions and an advocate for access to clean air.
The Chief Airgonomics initiative is being driven at a time of urgency: sensitivities over air have heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollutants are well known to damage the environment and the newly published WHO Air Quality Guidelines show us that air pollution is more damaging to human health than previously understood.
The initiative is a direct response to these realities while also bringing to life Camfil’s mission of protecting people, processes and the environment. It also puts into practice Camfil’s knowledge and expertise built over more than half a century and that it is eager to share with its peers and wider audiences to improve people’s lives.
Our Vision : Clean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our Mission: We want all companies and organisations to put clean and healthy indoor air on the agenda
Camfil believes that real change can only happen through collaborative effort and wants your organisation to
join the clean air movement and community. Start your clean indoor air journey today!
CAO Website
CAO Linkedin Group
Healthy air in any building is paramount. If it’s something you want to achieve, the best place to start is to accurately measure the quality of air you currently have.
Today we hear from an expert in air quality measurement, who explains the metrics and gives us the essential knowledge to make informed decisions about indoor air management.
Our guest has been working in air filtration for a long time and is Global Product Manager for Camfil, Matthias Jerosch.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
GUEST DETAILS
Matthias Jerosch is Global Product Manager For Air Cleaners & Containment at Camfil
Social Media: Matthias Jerosch
ABOUT CAMFIL’S CAO INITIATIVE
The Chief Airgonomics Officer initiative was started by Camfil, a leading manufacturer in premium clean air solutions and an advocate for access to clean air.
The Chief Airgonomics initiative is being driven at a time of urgency: sensitivities over air have heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollutants are well known to damage the environment and the newly published WHO Air Quality Guidelines show us that air pollution is more damaging to human health than previously understood.
The initiative is a direct response to these realities while also bringing to life Camfil’s mission of protecting people, processes and the environment. It also puts into practice Camfil’s knowledge and expertise built over more than half a century and that it is eager to share with its peers and wider audiences to improve people’s lives.
Our Vision : Clean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our Mission: We want all companies and organisations to put clean and healthy indoor air on the agenda
Camfil believes that real change can only happen through collaborative effort and wants your organisation to
join the clean air movement and community. Start your clean indoor air journey today!
CAO Website
CAO Linkedin Group
Our last episode, ‘The Professor’, was a masterclass of clear, science-backed guidance on improving indoor air, from a globally recognized leader in building science.
Jeffrey Siegel gave us really straightforward strategies and showed us how even small changes can meaningfully impact health, wellbeing and cognitive function.
After that podcast, we kept talking about the pros’ and cons’ of handheld sensors, balancing the quality of life and the cost of indoor air quality and some really simple things building managers can look at to get the best air quality at work.
Fortunately, we kept recording that conversation, so we can bring you all of this in a special bonus episode of ‘Let’s Talk Clean Air’ with Professor Jeffrey Siegel, a renowned expert with an academic career in air quality stretching from Berkeley to Texas, to his current position as the Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
GUEST DETAILS
Dr Jeffrey Siegel, a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto, specializes in creating healthy and sustainable buildings. With expertise in ventilation, indoor air quality, and control of particulate matter, he contributes to research on the indoor microbiome and moisture interactions. Dr. Siegel, a fellow of ASHRAE, teaches courses on indoor air quality and sustainable energy systems. His background includes a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, and he was an associate editor for the journal Building and Environment. Previously, he held a position as an Associate Professor at the University of Texas.
Website: The University of Toronto - Dr Jeffrey Siegel
JJon Holmes, aka ‘the filter guy’ has worked with Camfil for over 10 years and in 2022 was promoted to National Accounts Manager in Canada. Jon has completed training in Theories of Filtration, HEPA Filtration Testing, ASHRAE Testing Standards and Advanced Filtration. He is also heavily involved with industry organizations like BOMA, CHES, and NAFA, and acts as Chair of several committees in the industry.
Social Media: Jon Holmes
QUOTES
I think practical advice is important and is kind of in short supply. So the first thing I would say is, whatever decision you're making about air cleaning in your building, make sure you understand how it works and how to use it well. - Jeffrey Siegel
It’s that whole idea of empowering people to first of all think about their indoor air in a formalized way, but also, start the conversations about how we address issues, and I think that's what's so important about initiatives like the Chief Airgonomics Officer - Jeffrey Siegel
On one hand, I love that people are measuring indoor air, the whole problem people like me face is that indoor air is invisible. Bad indoor air and good indoor air look exactly the same, often smell exactly the same, and so, having a sensor there is so important. People learn so much from sensors. In my family in my house, one of the most important sources of indoor air pollution is cooking. - Jeffrey Siegel
Cleaning generates a ton of pollutants, I would never tell people not to clean, but you might want to think about how you're ventilating during cleaning, who is present during cleaning. - Jeffery Siegel
We are being, as a society, kind of economically foolish by not investing in indoor air, because there are these huge benefits, health benefits, productivity benefits, cognitive function benefits, well being benefits. So I think it's really important that we be very sensible in our economic analysis, we always think about the costs, of course, we should also be thinking about the benefits. - Jeffrey Siegel
ABOUT CAMFIL’S CAO INITIATIVE
The Chief Airgonomics Officer initiative was started by Camfil, a leading manufacturer in premium clean air solutions and an advocate for access to clean air.
The Chief Airgonomics initiative is being driven at a time of urgency: sensitivities over air have heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollutants are well known to damage the environment and the newly published WHO Air Quality Guidelines show us that air pollution is more damaging to human health than previously understood.
The initiative is a direct response to these realities while also bringing to life Camfil’s mission of protecting people, processes and the environment. It also puts into practice Camfil’s knowledge and expertise built over more than half a century and that it is eager to share with its peers and wider audiences to improve people’s lives.
Our Vision : Clean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our Mission: We want all companies and organisations to put clean and healthy indoor air on the agenda
Camfil believes that real change can only happen through collaborative effort and wants your organisation to join the clean air movement and community. Start your clean indoor air journey today!
CAO Website
CAO Linkedin Group
Mould and asbestos are sometimes referred to as the ‘silent killers in a building’.
If you have either of these in your building they are going to be a big concern and can have incredibly serious health effects on your occupants. Today, we hear from an expert with over twenty years experience dealing with the most complex indoor air quality, mould, and hazardous building materials issues.
Our guest worked on one of the largest and most comprehensive mould cleanup projects undertaken in Canada and has acted as primary consultant for the development of government mould cleanup guidelines. He is a director with Pinchin Ltd, one of North America's premier environmental, engineering, building science, and health & safety consulting firms, Stephen Booth.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
GUEST DETAILS
Stephen Booth, CET, LEED AP, RESET AP is Executive Vice President, GTA Indoor Environmental Quality at Pinchin.
Stephen has been employed by Pinchin Ltd. since 1993. Stephen holds a Diploma in Architectural Technology from Centennial College. Stephen is a Certified Engineering Technologist and LEED and RESET Air accredited professional. Stephen has more than 25years of environmental consulting experience and has managed hundreds of projects on behalf of Pinchin Ltd., including mould assessments, hazardous building materials surveys, along with complex abatement projects. This experience extends to industrial, commercial and government projects. Stephen has managed multiple whole building abatement projects for lead, mould, asbestos, and clandestine drug laboratories.
Social Media: Stephen Booth
QUOTES
When you get substantial amounts of mould growth in your building there are a number of health effects that can occur for building occupants, primarily upper respiratory and allergy in nature. - Stephen Booth
Filters are the first line of defense of the air that's coming into the building - Stephen Booth
The measurement part of the samples is probably the least important part of the indoor air quality testing. - Stephen Booth
Offices are generally better from an indoor air quality point of view than homes are. - Stephen Booth
Millions of tons of asbestos were put into building materials through the 50s, 60s and 70s. Then, by the 1970s, we started to see that the people who had been working with asbestos 20 years earlier, had a very high rate of lung cancer and restrictive breathing problems. - Stephen Booth
ABOUT CAMFIL’S CAO INITIATIVE
The Chief Airgonomics Officer initiative is started by Camfil, a leading manufacturer in premium clean air solutions and an advocate for access to clean air.
The Chief Airgonomics initiative is being driven at a time of urgency: sensitivities over air have heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollutants are well known to damage the environment and the newly published WHO Air Quality Guidelines show us that air pollution is more damaging to human health than previously understood.
The initiative is a direct response to these realities while also bringing to life Camfil’s mission of protecting people, processes and the environment. It also puts into practice Camfil’s knowledge and expertise built over more than half a century and that it is eager to share with its peers and wider audiences to improve people’s lives.
Our Vision : Clean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our Mission: We want all companies and organisations to put clean and healthy indoor air on the agenda
Camfil believes that real change can only happen through collaborative effort and wants your organisation to join the clean air movement and community. Start your clean indoor air journey today!
CAO Website
CAO Linkedin Group
Let’s Talk Clean Air is produced for Camfil by Dustpod.io
In this episode you will get clear, science-backed guidance on improving indoor air from a globally recognized leader in building science.
Professor Jeffrey Siegel shares straightforward strategies like controlling sources, optimizing ventilation and choosing effective filters. He shares how even small changes can meaningfully impact health, wellbeing and cognitive function. Jeffrey draws on his extensive expertise to help us understand the importance of indoor air quality and how to practically enhance it.
After listening, you’ll come away feeling empowered to take action to improving the air around you.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
GUEST DETAILS
Dr Jeffrey Siegel, a Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto, specializes in creating healthy and sustainable buildings. With expertise in ventilation, indoor air quality, and control of particulate matter, he contributes to research on the indoor microbiome and moisture interactions. Dr. Siegel, a fellow of ASHRAE, teaches courses on indoor air quality and sustainable energy systems. His background includes a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley, and he was an associate editor for the journal Building and Environment. Previously, he held a position as an Associate Professor at the University of Texas.
Website: The University of Toronto - Dr Jeffrey Siegel
Jon Holmes, aka ‘the filter guy’ has worked with Camfil for over 10 years and in 2022 was promoted to National Accounts Manager in Canada. Jon has completed training in Theories of Filtration, HEPA Filtration Testing, ASHRAE Testing Standards and Advanced Filtration. He is also heavily involved with industry organizations like BOMA, CHES, and NAFA, and acts as Chair of several committees in the industry.
Social Media: Jon Holmes
QUOTES
Indoor air quality has not really received the same kind of attention that other environmental issues have received, even with the pandemic. - Jeffrey Siegel
We have this very long list of health effects that come from breathing polluted indoor air, so everything from a variety of cardiovascular outcomes, respiratory outcomes, cancers, and then things that maybe aren't quite part of the conversation yet, but should be, like productivity, well being and cognitive function - Jeffrey Siegel
Even though we don't know everything, we know how to improve indoor air. And it's a very simple model that's been around much longer than I have. And that is, the first thing you do is you get rid of sources. - Jeffrey Siegel
We have about 10 or so bacterial cells in our body for every human cell, we are essentially walking meatbags for microorganisms. We think about ourselves as individuals, but really, we're better described as a collection of microorganisms. And so for things like exposure, indoor exposures and so on, I have to think that those microorganisms are important, but I don't know that we fully understand why or how. - Jeffrey Siegel
One of the smartest things I've ever heard anyone say about indoor air, they said that the whole problem with indoor air from a regulatory standpoint is that no politician in the world is going to tell people that their buildings aren't sanctuaries, especially their homes, because that politician won't be reelected. So we're never going to get that type of regulation or that type of attention. - Jeffrey Siegel
ABOUT CAMFIL’S CAO INITIATIVE
The Chief Airgonomics Officer initiative is started by Camfil, a leading manufacturer in premium clean air solutions and an advocate for access to clean air.
The Chief Airgonomics initiative is being driven at a time of urgency: sensitivities over air have heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollutants are well known to damage the environment and the newly published WHO Air Quality Guidelines show us that air pollution is more damaging to human health than previously understood.
The initiative is a direct response to these realities while also bringing to life Camfil’s mission of protecting people, processes and the environment. It also puts into practice Camfil’s knowledge and expertise built over more than half a century and that it is eager to share with its peers and wider audiences to improve people’s lives.
Our Vision : Clean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our Mission: We want all companies and organisations to put clean and healthy indoor air on the agenda
Camfil believes that real change can only happen through collaborative effort and wants your organisation to join the clean air movement and community. Start your clean indoor air journey today!
CAO Website
CAO Linkedin Group
Climate change is making wildfires across Canada, the US and other parts of the world more vicious and long-lasting, as landscapes are destroyed and harmful smoke from the fires is spreading thousands of miles away. Today, we’re going to learn about the worrying impact the fires are having on our air quality and how we can protect ourselves from inhaling particles that could have as detrimental an impact on our health as smoking cigarettes. Our experts are molecular filtration specialist Jennifer Webb who lives at the epicentre of one of the worst affected places, California, and Jon Holmes, who is Camfil’s National Account Manager in Canada. He’s known as ‘The Filter Guy’ for his passion about managing IAQ to protect our health.
TOPICS WE COVERJennifer Webb is Camfil’s Molecular Filtration Segment Manager for Western US and Mexico with a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware. Jennifer is responsible for technical sales, marketing and business development of molecular (aka- "carbon" or “gas-phase”) filtration solutions for a wide range of industries and applications, including airports, hospitals, cannabis, cultural heritage preservation, petrochemical, wastewater, pulp and paper, industrial exhaust and biogas.
Jon Holmes, aka ‘the filter guy’ has worked with Camfil for over 10 years and in 2022 was promoted to National Accounts based out of Toronto. Jon is passionate about Camfil and provides customers with solutions to achieve their energy reduction and sustainability goals. Jon has completed training in Theories of Filtration, Hepa Filtration Testing, ASHRAE Testing Standards, Advanced Filtration, Filter Selection and has operated our Mobile CamTester throughout Alberta to validate filter performance in the field. He is also heavily involved with industry organizations like BOMA, CHES, and NAFA, and is also the Chair of several committees in the industry. Most recently Jon Holmes has acquired his Fitwel Ambassador Certification and continues to work on his WELL accreditation. You can find Jon Holmes, aka “Jon the Filter Guy” on LinkedIn where he shares video tips on how to maximize your air filtration value.
Social Media: Jon Holmes
Wildfire article on Camfil.com: Wildfire solution guide
ABOUT CAMFIL’S CAO INITIATIVE
The Chief Airgonomics Officer initiative is started by Camfil, a leading manufacturer in premium clean air solutions and an advocate for access to clean air.
The Chief Airgonomics initiative is being driven at a time of urgency: sensitivities over air have heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollutants are well known to damage the environment and the newly published WHO Air Quality Guidelines show us that air pollution is more damaging to human health than previously understood.
The initiative is a direct response to these realities while also bringing to life Camfil’s mission of protecting people, processes and the environment. It also puts into practice Camfil’s knowledge and expertise built over more than half a century and that it is eager to share with its peers and wider audiences to improve people’s lives.
Our Vision : Clean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our Mission: We want all companies and organisations to put clean and healthy indoor air on the agenda Camfil believes that real change can only happen through collaborative effort and wants your organisation to join the clean air movement and community. Start your clean indoor air journey today!
CAO Website
CAO Linkedin Group
Jesse Buhler has worked in residential and commercial real estate management, development and construction for over 15 years. Currently, he leads a diverse team of professionals who focus on day-to-day management of AAA office properties. He also works with an internal team that focuses on building operational efficiencies, developing and implementing sustainability efforts, making OH&S easy to understand and easy to follow, implementing new property technology to make our lives easier, buildings run more efficiently and tenants happier. His experience within the industry, as well as growing up within an entrepreneurial family has given him the knowledge, the drive and a unique insight to create and lead effective teams within the Real Estate and Project Management industry.
Social Media: Jesse Buhler
Jon Holmes has worked with Camfil for over 10 years and in 2022 was promoted to National Accounts based out of Toronto. Jon is passionate about Camfil and provides customers with solutions to achieve their energy reduction and sustainability goals. Jon has completed training in Theories of Filtration, Hepa Filtration Testing, ASHRAE Testing Standards, Advanced Filtration, Filter Selection and has operated our Mobile CamTester throughout Alberta to validate filter performance in the field. He is also heavily involved with industry organizations like BOMA, CHES, and NAFA, and is also the Chair of several committees in the industry. Most recently Jon Holmes has acquired his Fitwel Ambassador Certification and continues to work on his WELL accreditation. You can find Jon Holmes, aka “Jon the Filter Guy” on LinkedIn where he shares video tips on how to maximize your air filtration value.
Social Media: Jon Holmes
Steffen Künn is an Associate Professor at the School of Business and Economics at Maastricht University, and a research fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA) as well as the Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (ROA).
His main research interests include applied labour economics. In particular, he focuses on two topics; the effectiveness of active labour market policy and the effects of indoor environmental conditions on human health, cognition and labour market outcomes.
Research paper: Indoor Air Quality and Strategic Decision Making
Dr. David O’Connor is currently an Assistant Professor at the School of Chemical Sciences in Dublin City University, where he is involved in physical chemistry undergraduate lecturing and laboratory demonstration.He formerly worked at Technological University Dublin and has previously held post-doctoral positions at the University of Denver (Marie Curie Fellowship) and the University College Cork, which involved numerous field and laboratory studies on atmospherically relevant species and processes.
Website: Dublin City University - David O'Connor
Twitter: David O'Connor
Links:
Jayant Kaushal, based in Singapore, is Vice President of Business Development for Camfil Asia Pacific. He also takes a lead in promoting global standard ISO 16890 & Eurovent in Asia Pacific region. Jayant has also been a member of a task force committee, set up by the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) for developing Singapore Green Mark scheme for Air Filters.
Chen Xin (Sam), is based in Shanghai and works as a Product Manager for Camfil China. For the past ten years he has been responsible for different air filtration projects, with lots of experience in both comfort and clean room applications.
Paul Flanagan is Managing Director of Camfil Ireland. He has huge experience in the filtration industry, with many years of helping customers with technical queries especially in Life Science, Healthcare, Data Centres, Food & Beverage and Educational facilities.
With over 20 years’ experience in engineering and design, there is very little Anders Sundvik does not know about filters, particles, gases, or air pollution and how to tackle it. Recently, he has been appointed as one of the world’s first Airgonomics Officers.
As founder and Director of Clean Air in London (CAL), Simon Birkett has campaigned since 2006 for full compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for air quality throughout London and elsewhere.
India
