When wildfire season creates toxic air in your community, the creeping smoke can make its way into your home, creating hazards that aren’t always easy to detect. This penetration of smoke can lead to high concentrations of tiny particles indoors when nearby wildfires are extreme. Exposure to this kind of air has been linked to unfortunate health results.

A PNNL research team, made up of Chrissi Antonopoulos, a Senior Analyst focusing on the advancement of energy- and carbon-neutral buildings, and Sam Rosenberg, a Data Research Scientist focusing on residential energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and building codes, studied this phenomenon. Together, they huddled inside and examined the air quality inside a nearly 100-year-old 2,600 square foot single-family dwelling in Portland, Oregon as wildfires raged nearby, creating toxic smoke throughout the city. Using low-cost sensors deployed in a new DOE Building America field study, they discovered some clear benefits in air quality from using portable air cleaners during this high smoke event. 

Tune in as host Nick Hennen learns more from special guest, Chrissi Antonopoulos on this episode of SciVIBE.