IAQ Radio

Ehsan Mousavi PhD - Clemson Department of Construction Science & Management - Indoor Air Quality: What Can We Learn from Hospitals

This week IAQ Radio+ welcomes Ehsan Mousavi, PhD for a look at his work on Indoor Air Quality in Hospitals. We will focus on what we can learn and use from the hospital setting in other indoor environments. Dr. Ehsan Mousavi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Construction Science and Management (CSM) at Clemson University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska in 2015 and has served in various capacities in the construction industry including dam, road, and building construction projects. Collaborating on projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air‐Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Dr. Mousavi has developed an extensive research background in the indoor air quality of hospitals. Specifically, he has studied the effect of environmental parameters (ventilation rate, ventilation arrangement, temperature, door motion, etc.) on the transmission and spread of pathogenic agents.
 
The average U.S. health-care facility uses three to five times more energy than a comparable size office building. More than two‐thirds of total energy consumption is dedicated to maintaining environmental control and indoor air quality. The main goal of Dr. Mousavi’s research is to appraise the effect of environmental parameters on the design, construction, operation, and maintenance (DCOM) of healthcare premises. In particular, questions are addressed as to how patient safety and the quality of care can be improved through attention to DCOM. The research results will be further implemented in the development of regulatory codes and standards.
 
Existing healthcare premises need to transition into newer and more effective facilities in response to growing demands. Due to the large expense of building a new facility and the increasing use of modular elements, renovation has shown to be an effective solution to providing reliable health care facilities. Hospitals cannot afford a complete shut‐down to proceed with renovation; that is, the “construction” zone and the “functioning” zone coexist in a renovation project to minimize the down‐time of the hospital. Under such conditions the two zones, hosting two vastly different types of contaminants, are adjacent and cross-contamination is highly plausible. Research is needed to systematically measure the current efforts to minimize the impact of construction on patient safety and comfort. Thus, Dr. Mousavi’s group of collaborators actively seeks to document the best practices performed by industry professionals, and to address questions as these measures’ effectiveness.
 
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Paul LaGrange - LaGrange Consulting - A Building Scientist’s Take On: Methods, Myths & Mistakes

IAQ Radio+ returns to Cajun Country this week to learn about construction methods, myths and mistakes from renowned building scientist Paul LaGrange. Mr. LaGrange is a master forensic investigator for moisture and energy movement in both historic and new homes located in the hot humid Gulf Coast Southern region of the US. LaGrange Consulting has been providing energy efficiency solutions for builders and homeowners since 1999. They are a full service consulting company specializing in energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and sustainability in residential and small commercial buildings
 
Paul also works as an expert witness for legal cases related to building science and is a building science educator at the LaHouse Resource Center at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If that is not enough Paul is also a Former Contractor with over 20 years of building experience and enjoys sharing his experience on his WWL radio show, through his Paul’s House referral network and through his blog.
 
Paul is well known in Building Science circles as an excellent Cajun Chef and makes a mean Gumbo, as anyone that has attended The Annual Westford Symposium on Building Science aka “Building Science Summer Camp” over the past decade will tell you. Learn More this week on IAQ Radio+ through case studies about lessons learned from diagnosing moisture in materials, evaluating methods to fix mistakes, and demystifying BS (Building Science) myths anywhere but particularly in hot humid climate zones!

Robert “Bavarian Bob” Blochinger - One Man’s Professional Journey to Carve a Niche for Flooring Forensics in the Cleaning & Restoration Industry!

This week IAQradio+ brings our growing and loyal group of listeners another unique show in the Moisture Mob ongoing series. Bob Blochinger is a fierce advocate for flooring forensic experts specializing in third party evaluations and oversight of complex installations. Bob’s early career from New York City with roots in the restoration field eventually lead him to South Florida which started an interesting journey over the past 3 decades to dealing with moisture and humidity related problems and how it affects flooring installations and a buildings indoor air quality.
Bob’s experience dealing with a wide range of projects from a diverse customer perspective including, contractors, building owners and managers, manufactures and distributors, lawyers and other stakeholders involved in flooring, moisture and IEQ related projects has shaped his life experience. Through the many lessons learned by Bob and hisgroup of national experts they fill an important role when an objective third party opinion is required to troubleshoot problems and find solutions to complex claims!
Join Radio Joe and the Z-man this week as they engage with an interesting and unique figure from this important industry niche who lists Brooklyneze as one of three languages he is fluent in on his social media profile! The Global Watchdog said in helping arrange this Moisture Mob show, “You can take the kid out of Brooklyn, but you can’t take the Brooklyn out of the kid!”. Call in live this week for this engaging and provocative interview!
Bob was raised in New York City, working in the family construction business. He moved to Florida for college, majoring in business management and worked seasonally in the hospitality industry. He began his career in the flooring industry in 1970, offering carpet cleaning and installations while specializing in water and fire damage restoration work. In the early 1980’s he expanded into the retail department store sector providing installation of floor covering sales. During the 1990’s his company started to service the architectural and interior design trade with high-end floor covering product sales and installations for residential, commercial and industrial applications. In 1990, Bob attended Southern Tech GA, specializing in technical training for carpet manufacturing and inspection. This started his career in forensic review of floor covering products that have a negative impact on performance, appearance and/or use. He is a multi-discipline flooring consultant. Bob also works as an expert witness, inspector and investigator for law firms, condominium associations and flooring manufacturers. He consults for flooring projects on bid package formatting and review, installation supervision and maintenance procedures. Bob’s oversight consultation assignments often require moisture testing of concrete for public works projects and private corporations tracking major installations from the retail store to the manufacturing facility.

Francis “Bud” Offermann, MSME, PE, CIH - Ventilation, Air Filtration, and COVID-19, “Avoiding the Snake Oil Salesman”

This week we welcome back Francis “Bud” Offermann for a discussion of ventilation, air filtration and COVID 19 Avoiding the Snake Oil Salesman. Mr. Offermann is president of Indoor Environmental Engineering, a San Francisco based IAQ consulting firm. Prior to starting up Indoor Environmental Engineering, Mr. Offermann was a Staff Scientist with the Building Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has been a recipient of research grants regarding building air quality and ventilation field studies, tracer gas techniques, contaminant emission rate measurements, and performance testing of air cleaning devices. 
 
Mr. Offermann served as an expert witness for the U.S. Federal Trade Commission regarding the performance claims found in advertisements of air cleaners. He also provided consultation to the American Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) during the development of AHAM Standard AC-1, which is used to measure the Clean Air Delivery Rates (CADR) for portable air cleaners. He was also a past chairman of ASHRAE TC2.3 and SPC-145 committees for gas phase air filters and a corresponding member of ASHRE TC2.4 and SPC-52.2 for particulate air filters. Mr Offermann will discuss the impact of air filtration on indoor airborne concentrations of SARS-CoV-2, including what types of air filtration work and what types pose potential health risks. LEARN MORE this week on IAQradio+.

Wynn L. White, PE - Effectively Managing Restoration & Remediation Projects: Lessons from Cajun Country

This week we welcome Wynn L. White, PE for a discussion on managing large restoration and remediation projects particularly after hurricanes and water damage events. Wynn is a second generation civil engineer who got his start working for his father’s engineering firm in Indiana, starting out on the survey crew. He worked his way up to crew chief and, after graduating from high school, earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Purdue University.
 
Wynn’s early work included a variety of civil engineering projects that included water, wastewater, subdivision layout, and road projects. Wynn went on to become a licensed sewage treatment plant operator, where he learned what really works (and what doesn’t) for his future projects. Wastewater brought Wynn to Louisiana in 1980. Wynn is the only person who’ll ever admit he was carried south by sewage. Wynn incorporated his own firm in 1987. Since then, he has worked on hundreds of environmental projects and has been the principal-in-charge on over 2,000 projects. When the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) was passed, Wynn knew schools across Louisiana would need help conducting their asbestos inspections and developing asbestos management plans. So he embarked on a whirlwind tour of the state to offer services to schools. As a result, his firm conducted more asbestos inspections and developed more asbestos management plans for schools than any other firm in Louisiana. 
 
In the early 2000’s, mold related litigation made national headlines, bringing about rarely before seen emphasis on mold and moisture problems. Wynn positioned the firm as a regional leader in helping clients manage mold and moisture problems, and avoid and solve construction defects and building enclosure problems. Wynn is a Registered Professional Engineer (Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas) and has been a at many prestigious events including the Annual Westford Symposium on Building Science AKA Summer Camp. Mr. White has also served as an expert witness in numerous legal cases and brings a real world perspective to his thoughts on managing restoration and remediation projects.
 
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Alan P. Zelicoff, MD - COVID 19 Prevention, Treatment, Vaccines, & Lessons Learned

This week we welcome back one of our favorite medical contributors and epidemiology of infectious disease expert, Dr. Alan P. Zelicoff MD. Dr. Zelicoff has been educating the IAQ Radio+ audience about biological weapons and infectious diseases since 2008. The first show we did in 2008 was on Microbes: Are We Ready for the Next Plague, followed by shows on Ebola, H1N1 and COVID-19.
 
Disclaimer :Dr. Zelicoff has agreed to help us by researching and commenting on current events related to COVID-19. His opinions are not individual medical advice but rather opinions from someone that has been warning the world for years this pandemic was coming.
 
Dr. Zelicoff is a physician (board certified in internal medicine 1992, clinical fellowship in rheumatology, 1983) and physicist (A.B., Princeton, 1975), who has had a varied career including clinical practice, teaching, and operations research. In the latter roles, he was Senior Scientist in the Center for National Security and Arms Control at Sandia National Laboratories from 1989 to 2003. His interests include risk and hazard analysis in hospital systems and office-based practice, and in technologies for improving the responsiveness of public health offices and countering biological weapons terrorism. Dr. Zelicoff has traveled extensively in countries of the former Soviet Union and has led joint research projects in epidemiology of infectious disease, while establishing Internet access at Russian and Kazak biological laboratories. He is the author of numerous text book chapters and articles in these subjects, and is a frequent contributor to Op-Ed pages in the Washington Post and other newspapers. Dr. Zelicoff’s book on this subject is: Microbe: Are we Ready for the Next Plague? Available on Amazon.
 
LEARN MORE this week on IAQradio+.

Paula Olsiewski, PhD - Contributing Scholar Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security - HOMEChem: House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry

This week we welcome Paula Olsiewski, PhD for an update on the HOMEChem project and a discussion about her new position at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. In her new position she will be focused on COVID and indoor air quality. Dr. Olsiewski is a Contributing Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. She is a pioneering leader in policy and scientific research programs in the microbiology and chemistry of indoor environments
 
During her 2 decades at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, she led innovative and multidisciplinary programs that inspired, accelerated, and produced lasting impact. Her expertise in partnering with academic, governmental, and for-profit stakeholders fostered innovation and built research capacity through the creation of diverse stakeholder networks. Her accomplishments include the creation and direction of the microbiology of the built environment, chemistry of indoor environments, and biosecurity programs.
Dr. Olsiewski is recognized as a leading expert in biosecurity and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is Chair of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Homeland Security Research Subcommittee and is a member of the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors Executive Committee. She is also a member of the NTI|bio Working Group for Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in chemistry.
 
Dr. Olsiewski’s acumen in board governance, recruitment and development, and fundraising has helped both scientific and philanthropic organizations improve their operational efficacy and programmatic outcomes. Early in her career, Dr. Olsiewski was Vice President of Product Development at Enzo Biochem and President of Neo/Tech Corp. She is an active board member of the Critical Path Institute, an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the drug development and regulatory process. She is also Vice Chair of the Spondylitis Association of America and was board chair of Asphalt Green—a not-for-profit organization in New York that encourages a lifetime of participation in sports and fitness.
 
Dr. Olsiewski received a PhD in biological chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). As an alumna, she was a member of the MIT Corporation and President of the MIT Alumni Association, earning her the association’s top honor: the Bronze Beaver award. Dr. Olsiewski was a member of MIT’s Initiative for Faculty Race and Diversity Advisory Committee and is an advocate for diversity and ongoing supporter of MIT's Women in Chemistry. She also received a BS in chemistry, cum laude, from Yale.
 
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Best and Worst Things of 2020 – Rauscher, Sloan, Lapotaire, Springer, Downey, Shaughnessy, Pearson, Grillo, Krell, Morrison, Brueggemann

This week we welcome representatives from our sponsors to participate in a special 1.5 hour year end "Best & Worst Things of 2020" show. IAQRadio+ could not continue to be on every week for over 14 years without the support of our sponsors. Please join us today as a way of thanking them for helping us continue to provide education and communication for our industries. LEARN MORE this week on IAQradio+.

Jay Portnoy, MD - A Pioneering Pediatrician’s Perspective on COVID-19 & Mold Health Effects

This week we welcome Jay Portnoy, MD for a discussion on children and COVID plus an update on mold health effects. Dr. Portnoy and the Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City team he started are pioneers in home health assessment. Their work in helping control allergies, asthma and other health issues traced to or exacerbated by conditions in the built environment is some of the most important work being done in our industry.
 
Dr Jay Portnoy is an allergist in the section of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and Medical Director of Telemedicine at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. He received his medical degree at the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Medicine, and he did his pediatric residency at the Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and his Allergy fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Following that he returned to Children’s Mercy Hospital.
 
Dr. Portnoy has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals involving asthma disease management, environmental control, mold allergy. More recently he has been involved in evidence-based medicine and Telemedicine and was co-chair of the Joint Taskforce on Practice Parameters. He was co-director of the Kansas University Medical School allergy program from 1985 to 1997 and he founded the UMKC School of Medicine allergy program and directed it from 1997-2006.Dr. Portnoy served as President of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in 2008 and he has served on numerous committees both of the American College and the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology as well as on the Allergy/Immunology Residency Review Committee of the ACGME and the American Board of Allergy and Immunology.
 
He lives in Overland Park, KS with his wife and 2 cats. Fortunately, nobody in the family has cat allergy. LEARN MORE this week on IAQradio+.

Lisa M Brosseau, ScD, CIH - Control Banding & COVID-19

This week we welcome Dr. Lisa Brosseau to discuss Control Banding & COVID 19. Control Banding is a popular technique used in industrial hygiene to guide the assessment of workplace risks. Dr. Brosseau, now retired, was a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health from 2015 to 2018, where she was director of the Illinois Education and Research Center, which supported graduate and continuing education for occupational health and safety professionals and community outreach activities. She was also director of the UIC Center for Healthy Work.
 
Dr. Brosseau began her career as an academic researcher and educator at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, where she directed the Industrial Hygiene Program. Her early research focused on the performance of respirator filters when exposed to hazardous aerosols such as silica and asbestos, and later expanded to include biological and infectious organisms. Her more recent research focused on respirator fit, using real-time methods and simulated workplace tasks to better understand how fit is influenced by realistic head and body motions. She continues to serve as a mentor and technical advisor on research projects and for businesses and organizations, including CIDRAP.
 
Dr. Brosseau has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters, delivered numerous platform research presentations, and has been an invited speaker at numerous local, national and international conferences and workshops. She has written several articles for CIDRAP focused on respiratory protection for healthcare and other workers during outbreaks and pandemics.
 
Learn more at iaqradio.com!