Scientists demand action on indoor air quality

Australian Community Media

A group of international experts led by Professor Lidia Morawska FAA from QUT has presented a blueprint for national indoor air quality standards for public buildings. Courtesy: Australian Academy of Science

Transcript

00:00 The average Australian spends at least 90% of their time indoors.

00:05 But how often do you think about the air you're breathing in?

00:08 Indoor air pollution is considered a serious risk to public health

00:12 in societies around the world.

00:14 Despite that, most countries don't have any indoor air quality standards.

00:19 Every drop of water we drink from the tap,

00:23 its quality is highly regulated.

00:26 Every piece of food we take to our mouth

00:28 is highly regulated in quality.

00:31 Indoor air, which we take into our lungs 12 times a minute,

00:36 is not regulated at all.

00:38 Professor Lydia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology

00:42 was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2021

00:48 for pressuring the World Health Organisation

00:50 into acknowledging that COVID-19 could be spread through the air,

00:54 particularly indoors.

00:56 Now she's leading a new push for international action.

01:00 Professor Morawska and a group of global experts

01:03 have used the prestigious journal Science to publish a blueprint

01:06 for mandating indoor air quality in public buildings.

01:10 Our paper, which is a consensus of over 40 scientists and experts

01:16 from many disciplines from around the world,

01:18 is the best practice, better than anything else

01:21 which is happening anywhere in the world.

01:25 The group proposes standards for three key indoor pollutants -

01:29 carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and PM2.5,

01:33 which are particles so small they can lodge deep in the lungs

01:37 and enter the bloodstream.

01:38 This is my favourite little monitor.

01:41 It measures carbon dioxide.

01:44 Together with carbon dioxide, we emit other things,

01:48 in particular pathogens, bacteria or viruses, if we are infected.

01:52 So if concentration of carbon dioxide increases,

01:55 potentially concentration of these pathogens increases as well.

01:59 And it fits into my handbag, so it goes with me everywhere.

02:03 The scientists also want to ensure mechanical ventilation systems

02:07 remove and dilute pollutants at a higher rate than their production.

02:10 She points to schools as an obvious place for action,

02:14 where many classrooms are now being fitted with air conditioning.

02:17 One issue with this is that while it provides a good thermal comfort,

02:21 it does not provide fresh air.

02:24 It just recirculates the air,

02:26 so it doesn't do anything to improve air quality.

02:30 Outdoor air quality is already regulated in many places

02:34 in line with the World Health Organisation's global air guidelines.

02:38 Professor Morawska says countries such as Australia

02:41 can now lead by example for indoor air as well.

02:45 We know how to do it. We know how important it is.

02:49 Why won't we start now?

02:53 (END)

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