Let's Talk Clean Air | Camfil Camfil

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
How mould damages buildings and causes health problems Mitigation tactics for mould, fungus and hazardous materials Why testing and management requires professional support Using air filters as the first line of defense for airborne particlesThe fatal impact of asbestos and how to manage it if it’s in your building 
GUEST DETAILSStephen 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.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephendbooth/ 
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: https://www.chiefairgonomicsofficer.com/
CAO Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12679402/

Let’s Talk Clean Air is produced for Camfil by Dustpod.io

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, 60

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
How building managers should approach indoor air quality and maintenance The pros and cons of handheld air quality sensors Empowering people to make them think about their indoor air quality The middle ground of quality of life and good indoor airThe economic and health benefits of investing in indoor air societally 
GUEST DETAILSDr 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.
https://civmin.utoronto.ca/home/about-us/directory/professors/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. 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwholmes  
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

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
● Why indoor air quality is as important as ever ● The benefits of clean air quality on our health and wellbeing● Creating a healthy microbiome indoors ● Certifications and regulations for indoor air quality ● Why all air filters are not created equally 
GUEST DETAILSDr 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.https://civmin.utoronto.ca/home/about-us/directory/professors/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. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwholmes  
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

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. 
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
01:38 The impact of climate change on wildfires 
04:53 Damaging particles in wildfire smoke 
07:23 Measuring the Six Criteria Air Pollutants 
12:20 Personal restrictions as a result of bad AQI 
15:28 Actions you can take for better IAQ 
17:56 Air quality impact on the workforce 
20:53 Maintenance of air filters during wildfire season 
22:00 How we can educate ourselves on AQI and IAQ 
24:30 How to become a Chief Airgonomics Officer 

GUEST DETAILSJennifer 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.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwholmes  

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: https://www.chiefairgonomicsofficer

Air quality is becoming a more important consideration for the building sector, where integrating good air quality systems can help to maintain client and tenant satisfaction. 
Today, we’re going to learn how building managers are adapting to new expectations, providing air quality measures efficiently and how air filtration may soon be as ‘in demand’ as water filtration.
Our hands-on guests are Jesse Buhler, Director of Property Management at GWL who has over 15 years experience in the industry, and Jon Holmes, National Account Manager for Camfil in Toronto, who in his 10 years working at Camfil has built a reputation for questioning the status quo.
THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT
01:33 The long term economic savings of premium filters
07:10 The importance of indoor air quality awareness for building managers 
09:15 Air quality as an incentive to bring workers back to the office 
11:30 How to keep both clients and tenants happy 
16:10 Air quality checks and industry best practice 
19:25 Sustainability considerations for air filters 
23:04 Education and the first steps to bettering your air quality
GUEST DETAILS
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.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessebuhler/
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.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonwholmes 

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 h

Do chess players perform worse when air quality is lower?
In this episode, we delve into a unique study of over 600 high-level competition games and find out how IAQ affects people and their strategic decision-making. Hugely relevant to offices, and other indoor environments, we discover how the tests were conducted and the shocking results.
TOPICS WE COVER
01:05 The connection between health and the labour market03:21 Comparing workers and managers to chess players05:23 How the chess experiment was set up09:57 Monitoring players performance13:40 Sharing the results15:38 Surprising difference between amateur and professionals17:26 How this applies to the workplace
ABOUT OUR GUEST
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.
Contact Steffen: https://sites.google.com/site/steffenkuenn/Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffen-k%C3%BCnn-9b5b0616b/ Research Paper: https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4643
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 VisionClean and healthy Indoor Air should be a Human right
Our MissionWe 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: https://www.chiefairgonomicsofficer.com/CAO Linkedin Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12679402/