We discussed the impact of CO2 on virus transmission and the fact that as CO2 rises, we all start to lose cognitive function! This occurs at levels which we easily hit indoors. We reviewed studies (see references below) that show you can decrease absenteeism at school and improve test scores and cognitive function by decreasing indoor CO2 levels. Just like the massive return on investment for decreasing outdoor air pollution, our businesses and communities can see significant productivity gains and improved cognitive function when we clean up our indoor air! Our conversation definitely made me look closer at our house- our indoor CO2 can easily get over 1000 or so with all of us in the living room. I actually turned up our air circulation on our HVAC system after this podcast interview, and will definitely go back to ensuring lower levels, especially whenever someone in the house is sick. On good air days, I am likely going to be opening the windows when I work from home to ensure peak cognitive function! 

Naturally, I worry a great deal about outdoor air pollution and how it can affect my patients- especially because they often have minimal to no control over the pollution generated where they live. However, we have a lot more control over the air in buildings in our community. It is important for all of us to understand this, so we can advocate for cleaner air. This is especially important because we all spend most of our time indoors. The people about whom I worry most, my patients and those with chronic illness, often spend even more time indoors. It is vital that indoor air is healthy, to avoid worsening disease, increasing infection, and making us all dumber. The world is fast paced right now, and we can’t all afford to be paying a 10% brain tax because of high CO2 and poor ventilation in our buildings. But how do we make this happen?

I increasingly think low-cost sensors may be the way to go. As Dr Lagoudas says, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Having now lived with a PM2.5 sensor and a CO2 sensor in my home for a long time, I am very used to closing windows and running the HEPA filter when PM2.5 levels increase or opening a few windows when our CO2 levels rise. There is something that is just easier for humans to see information from our own environment and to make adjustments than to do so in a data-free zone. It also prevents people wasting time and effort on air that is already pretty clean and focusing efforts where they are needed. 

I will definitely do a deeper dive on the CO2 references and impacts in the future, so stay tuned!

So what can you do?

First- if you can afford it, consider purchasing a simple sensor that detects CO2 and PM2.5.

• You want your CO2 level less than 1000, perhaps 800 if you have kids in the home and your PM2.5 average under 5 ucg/m3. Prioritize the PM2.5, but pay attention to the CO2 as well
• Air Monitor Review Links from Dr Lagoudas- BreatheSafeAir and HouseFresh do reviews, like this one

Find out if your work or child’s school monitors indoor air quality- if not, consider advocating for indoor air quality sensors. It will help reduce absenteeism at work and at school and improve test scores!

Check out the Clean Indoor Air Initiative at Brown to encourage clean indoor air policies at local, state and federal level. You can find there the state guide for clean air.