For private businesses , even an investment of just $ 40 per employee could save about $ 7,000 per person per year , according to Joseph Allen , director of the Healthy Buildings program at the Harvard T . H . Chan School of Public Health .
But widespread change is unlikely unless a federal agency or official is tasked with establishing and enforcing standards , many scientists believe .
“ The problem is there ’ s no regulatory authority to make this happen on the federal level ,” said David Michaels , who led the Occupational Safety and Health Administration under President Barack Obama .
The E . P . A . has authority over outdoor air and specific pollutants like asbestos , lead and radon . OSHA has no rules on airborne infections , and an attempt in the 1990s to regulate air quality was quickly quashed by the tobacco industry .
The C . D . C . can offer recommendations on indoor air but not rules , and it does not venture far into ventilation practices and standards .
Still , the agency ’ s new guidelines may make it easier for people and businesses to recognize and demand better air quality . At least in theory , they may also enable OSHA to hold employers responsible for maintaining clean air , Dr . Michaels said .
“ It helps OSHA if they want to directly address particular problems now , but it ’ s sort of a road map to future indoor air quality standards ,” he said .
Dr . Allen noted that the move toward clean water came in fits and starts over decades , and changes to ventilation , too , may take a long time to unspool .
“ The next pandemic , whatever it is , buildings will be part of the core response on Day 1 ,” he said . “ I don ’ t have any doubt about that .”
Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter focused on science and global health . She was a part of the team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of the pandemic . More about Apoorva Mandavilli
A version of this article appears in print on Nov . 21 , 2023 , Section D , Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline : Indoor Air Quality Remains Unhealthy . Order Reprints | Today ’ s Paper | Subscribe
Source : Why We ’ re Still Breathing Dirty Indoor Air ‐ The New York Times ( nytimes . com ) ###