Clearing the Air about Ionizers, Hydrogen Peroxide & More- the 4 D's of Safer Air with Ken Martinez

Today, I am delighted to be joined by Ken Martinez, who is a certified Industrial Hygienist and Environmental Engineer with a long and illustrious career in biosecurity and research. His career has spanned over 33 year with the CDC, responding to crises such as the first SARS1 outbreak in Toronto, responding to the World Trade Center collapse, working on anthrax, multi-drug resistant TB and more. He shares what we have learned from responding to previous biological threats and pandemics, and how we can apply them now.

We talk today about the “4 Ds” of keeping air safe- Density, Distance, Duration, and Dilution. In addition to vaccination, we talk about what is known and what is unproven in terms of indoor air cleaning technology.

In particular, we talk about technology such as chemical foggers, ionizers, and hydroxyl radical generators, which have been heavily marketed to schools and homes across the country. I have received pitches for these myself, and understanding what is actually proven vs unproven technology is helpful.

To Do-

1- Remember the “Four Ds”- Density, Duration, Distance, and Dilution in your upcoming holiday gatherings. Encourage anyone who is not vaccinated who is eligible to be vaccinated. Listen to earlier podcast episodes this season on how to have those conversations.

2-  Commit to Care to reduce COVID spread by checking out the post on the website for information on how to optimize both HVAC and portable air filters for indoor safety.

3- Do you already have a portable air cleaner? If so, check to see whether it is a filter that is removing particles from the air, like a certified HEPA filter, vs something that is adding something to the air, such as ionizing technology or hydroxyl radical generation. Until we know more, focus on removing particles from the air and ventilating well rather than introducing new things into your air. Learn more about selecting and sizing an air filter for your space- this post is geared for wildfire concerns, but has information about air filters in references.

4- Find out what air “cleaners” are being used in your school, church and home. If they are using ionizing technology and hydroxyl radical generators, ask whether the device has been studied in occupied spaces. You can also reach out to me, and I can try to put you in touch with scientists who are interested in studying the effectiveness of this technology in the real world.

5- Learn more about school and home air safety with COVID19 by listening to the episode “The Air Kids Share” with Dr. Olsiewski of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

6- Consider a donation to IBEC to help them in their work to make the air in our schools, churches and workplaces safer.

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