A Breath of Clean Air: Building Climate Resilience by Improving IAQ

Join Clean Indoor Air Toronto for A Breath of Clean Air, a workshop to learn how to improve indoor air quality and make our indoor environments more resilient to the impacts of air pollution and climate change.

Climate change means poor air quality days are becoming more common. At the same time, indoor air can be highly polluted. Most buildings in Toronto are not designed to adequately handle harmful air contaminants like fine particulates (PM2.5) and ultrafine particulates (UFPs). This workshop will focus on practical ways to prepare for wildfire smoke, extreme heat, and poor air quality days, while learning how to create healthier indoor spaces. This is a great opportunity to build climate resilience and learn more about protecting your health by improving indoor air quality.

The workshop begins with a presentation by chemist and science communicator Louise Hidinger, PhD. We will take a closer look at sources of air pollution from inside a building, and how the growing burden of outdoor air pollution due to climate change and human activity makes its way into our inside spaces, and ultimately into our bodies. Next, we will discuss the current landscape for ventilation and air quality standards.

After the presentation, participants will be invited to get hands-on experience by engaging with four interactive exhibits: different types of IAQ monitors, air filtration equipment for cleaning the air, DIY air purifiers (Corsi-Rosenthal boxes), and examples of mask designs.

This event is provided through partnership with Green 13, supported by Meridian Credit Union, and is sponsored by Swansea Town Hall.

About the Host: Clean Indoor Air Toronto is a grassroots organization that is dedicated to improving indoor air quality in our built environments. We advocate for the development and implementation of IAQ policy to ensure equitable access to clean, safe-to-breathe air. Alongside our advocacy, we provide information, resources, and workshops to promote awareness of IAQ as an integral part of increasing climate resilience in communities.