In this week’s episode, host Daniel Raimi talks with Robert D. Metcalfe, a professor at Columbia University. Metcalfe recently coauthored a study of the levels of invisible particulate matter released in the air during everyday household activities like cooking and cleaning, exposure to which has been linked to health problems. He shares key findings on trends in indoor air quality, how people change their behavior when made aware of pollution levels in their homes, and the potential benefits and trade-offs of government subsidies for indoor air quality monitoring technologies. Metcalfe also highlights what areas of future research could inform this field and guide more effective interventions for public health and policy.

References and recommendations:

“Making the Invisible Visible: The Impact of Revealing Indoor Air Pollution on Behavior and Welfare” by Robert D. Metcalfe and Sefi Roth; https://www.nber.org/papers/w33510