Lungcast is joined by an environmental engineer to discuss the burden of harmful air in US school systems today.
0:16 Intro
0:50 Introducing Mark Hernandez, PhD, PE
2:15 The most pressing issues of school air quality
4:12 Advice for school administrators
6:25 The link to pediatric asthma
12:23 Trends in national monitoring
14:16 How COVID-19 changed ventilation priorities
16:29 An equitable, affordable solution
18:34 Signs of unhealthy air exposure
20:53 How clinicians and guardians can get involved
23:47 Outro
For all the headlines that which outdoor ambient air pollution receive, there is little discussion surrounding the impact of the equally—if not more—harmful effects of indoor air pollution. And as one expert explained, the risk is common even in school buildings, yet frequently ignored all the same.
In the latest episode of Lungcast, Mark Hernandez, PhD, PE, the SJ Archuleta Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Aerobiology and Disinfection Lab at the University of Colorado, discussed the commonality, signs, and harmful impact of poor indoor air quality in US schools.
Lungcast is a monthly respiratory news podcast series hosted by Al Rizzo, MD, chief medical officer of the American Lung Association (ALA), and produced by HCPLive.
A unique engineer-to-physician discussion, Hernandez and Rizzo talked through the public health elements of the poor air quality situation impacting US children—from clinical manifestations and monitoring strategies, to examples of solution-seeking on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pair additionally discussed the means by which clinicians and parents or guardians alike can become community-level advocates and informants on the cost-efficient means to improve their schools’ air quality.
Subscribe to Lungcast on Spotify here or listen to the latest episode below:
