The article linked in the first paragraph is almost more interesting to me[1]. Some of these places, like the subway, have air frequently circulated that can filter aerosols but leave CO2; this limitation makes me somewhat doubt its usefulness as a proxy for disease transmission risk.
Apart from disease transmission, since I've gotten a CO2 monitor in my apartment I've noticed that running the gas stove or oven for even a little while will make a huge spike in CO2.
Very interesting article, but remember, making a room more airy will not mitigate the long term effects of CO2 on the Earth.
Older people may remember the push to make your house more energy efficient. So, seems you have a choice, higher energy bills or higher indoors C02.
So what is needed, move off fossil fuels. I remember seeing during the covid lockdown, C02 Levels did not raise for the first time in decades and I think they may have fell a little. That is because auto traffic decreased a lot. Right now I believe we are on our way to +2.5C :(
The tension between an energy-efficient building and a well-ventilated one is real, but energy-recovery ventilation (ERV or HRV) is a thing and apparently works pretty well. Some kinds use counter-flow heat exchangers, some use an oscillating flow over a thermal mass (sometimes also a sorbent to keep moisture in or out).
The article linked in the first paragraph is almost more interesting to me[1]. Some of these places, like the subway, have air frequently circulated that can filter aerosols but leave CO2; this limitation makes me somewhat doubt its usefulness as a proxy for disease transmission risk.
Apart from disease transmission, since I've gotten a CO2 monitor in my apartment I've noticed that running the gas stove or oven for even a little while will make a huge spike in CO2.
[1] https://grieve-smith.com/ftn/2026/02/so-you-want-to-monitor-...
Gas stove, oven, and clothes dryer with polyester/nylon will all cause my air quality sensor to go into the red.
Some takeaways:
- be very careful of what oils you're using when cooking food to ensure they are not turning volatile
- try to avoid using a dryer for non-natural poly clothes and use hang drying instead
Very interesting article, but remember, making a room more airy will not mitigate the long term effects of CO2 on the Earth.
Older people may remember the push to make your house more energy efficient. So, seems you have a choice, higher energy bills or higher indoors C02.
So what is needed, move off fossil fuels. I remember seeing during the covid lockdown, C02 Levels did not raise for the first time in decades and I think they may have fell a little. That is because auto traffic decreased a lot. Right now I believe we are on our way to +2.5C :(
The tension between an energy-efficient building and a well-ventilated one is real, but energy-recovery ventilation (ERV or HRV) is a thing and apparently works pretty well. Some kinds use counter-flow heat exchangers, some use an oscillating flow over a thermal mass (sometimes also a sorbent to keep moisture in or out).
>So, seems you have a choice, higher energy bills or higher indoors C02.
An HRV or ERV can help with that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_recovery_ventilation
The problem isn't to breathe CO2, it's pumping it in the atmosphere... This article really misses the point.