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What really happens in a child's body during a severe asthma attack? Dr. Abigail Whitehouse, pediatric respiratory consultant, takes us on a sobering journey through the physiology of asthma, beginning with a paramedic's memory of a late-night emergency.

The conversation reveals the hidden mechanisms of respiratory distress—airways becoming increasingly constricted as immune cells flood lung tissues, creating a life-threatening situation where medication becomes ineffective and oxygen levels plummet. We learn that asthma development involves a complex interplay between genetic predisposition and environmental triggers that "switch" the immune system's response.

Dr. Whitehouse shares insights from her environmental health clinic, where she's pioneering approaches that look beyond medication to address the root causes of respiratory illness. The discussion uncovers disturbing connections between air pollution, poor housing conditions, and asthma mortality rates, revealing how social inequalities create disproportionate health burdens.

Most powerfully, she challenges the acceptance of ongoing symptoms, emphasising that proper asthma management should aim for complete symptom elimination. For parents, healthcare providers, and anyone concerned about respiratory health, this episode offers critical knowledge about warning signs, proper inhaler use, and the environmental factors that could mean the difference between life and death during an asthma emergency.

Abigail Whitehouse - Linkedin

Abigail Whitehouse

Asthma & Lung UK

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Gabriel Rojas and colleagues' comprehensive review examines indoor air quality in over 600 Passive Houses, revealing that properly-designed mechanical ventilation systems generally outperform conventional housing for background pollutants like CO2, VOCs and radon. Quality control makes a dramatic difference - a UK study found 100% of certified Passive Houses met required airflows while only 47% of non-certified MVHR homes even met basic building regulations.

• Certified Passive Houses show consistently better ventilation performance than non-certified buildings with similar technology
• Quality assurance processes are essential, not optional extras
• Cooking pollution creates a significant blind spot in Passive House design
• Recirculating cooker hoods fail to capture harmful PM2.5 particles, which remain trapped in airtight spaces
• New Passive House guidance now strongly recommends extracting cooker hoods venting outside
• Proper makeup air systems must be balanced with kitchen extraction
• Both certification rigor and comprehensive pollutant management are necessary for truly healthy homes

A review of the indoor air quality in residential Passive House dwellings

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Check out the Air Quality Matters website for more information, updates and more. And the YouTube Channel

The Air Quality Matters Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.

Eurovent Farmwood 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot

The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.

SafeTraces

All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.

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The economic value of healthy buildings represents one of the greatest untapped frontiers in our quest for better indoor environments. While we've mastered the technical aspects of creating healthier spaces, convincing decision-makers to invest remains challenging without clear financial metrics.

Stefan Flagner, an economics researcher with a PhD spanning economics and health sciences, brings a unique perspective to this conversation. As co-author of "10 Questions Concerning the Economics of Indoor Environmental Quality in Buildings," Stefan explores how we can quantify and communicate the return on investment for healthy building initiatives. His research reveals we're at a critical juncture—similar to where energy efficiency stood two decades ago—where the business case exists but needs stronger articulation.

The discussion examines several fascinating aspects of this challenge: the split incentives between building owners and occupants, the difficulty in measuring productivity impacts across different industries, and the need for more robust field studies rather than relying solely on laboratory evidence. Stefan highlights how interdisciplinary approaches combining economics, engineering, and health sciences are essential yet surprisingly rare in research.

What makes this conversation particularly valuable is Stefan's focus on practical applications. Rather than targeting companies already investing in premium spaces, he emphasises reaching conservative business owners with limited capital who need hard numbers to justify investments. The path forward requires better data collection, post-occupancy evaluations, and tools that allow businesses to calculate potential returns based on their specific circumstances.

Ready to discover how the economics of healthy buildings could transform our approach to indoor environments? This episode provides crucial insights for anyone involved in building design, management, investment, or occupational health.

Stephan Flagner - LinkedIn

10 Questions

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Check out the Air Quality Matters website for more information, updates and more. And the YouTube Channel

The Air Quality Matters Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.

Eurovent Farmwood 21 Degrees Aereco Aico Ultra Protect InBiot

The One Take Podcast is brought to you in partnership with.

SafeTraces

All great companies that share the podcast's passion for better air quality in the built environment. Supporting them helps support the show.