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Recap: Healthier Spaces, Healthier Breaths – Protecting Children from Asthma through Better Indoor Air Quality

Promotional banner for the EDIAQI Webinar Series. The title reads “Breathing Room: Empowering Families and Schools to Safeguard Children from Indoor Asthma Triggers.” On the right, a circular photograph shows a classroom with young children seated facing a digital screen. On the left, event details appear in green boxes: “Friday 14 November” and “10:30 AM CET.” Logos for EDIAQI, INQUIRE, COPSAC, iAIR Institute, IDEAL Cluster, and the European Union are displayed along the bottom.

On 14 November 2025, the INQUIRE and EDIAQI projects - both part of the IDEAL Cluster - co-hosted the latest session of the EDIAQI Mini-Medical Series, examining how Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) influences the onset and management of childhood asthma. The session brought research, clinical evidence, and practical insights together to support healthier indoor environments for children across Europe.

Clinical Perspectives on IAQ and Asthma

Slide titled “How Do We Join the Dots?” showing three black icons in a row: a construction worker’s head representing building design and product choices (“Doing”), a building representing indoor environmental impact (“Sensing”), and two human silhouettes representing personal health impacts (“Feeling”). Video thumbnails on the right show John McKeon speaking, with Alex Borg and Michael Forsmann visible below.

Dr John McKeon emphasised that improving IAQ requires a multi-faceted response, spanning building design, ventilation, material choices, and everyday household behaviours. He underlined that paediatric asthma emerges from cumulative exposures across the places where children spend the most time.

Hidden Hazards at Home: Lessons from INQUIRE

Slide illustrating sources of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) inside homes. A cross-section of a house shows rooms with labels such as “aerosol sprays,” “detergents and disinfectants,” “building materials,” and “moth repellents.” Additional images display paint cans, perfume bottles, and a cleaning bucket. Video thumbnails on the right show Alexander Håland, Alex Borg, Michael Forsmann, and another participant.

Dr Alexander Håland highlighted the wide range of chemical compounds present indoors, including fragrance allergens and legacy chemicals such as Musk Ambrette. His reminder that young children interact with their environments through both breathing and hand-to-mouth behaviour underscored the importance of whole-home strategies. He also noted gaps in global classification systems, including inconsistencies within WHO categories.

The COPSAC Cohorts: Timing, Exposure, and Immune Development

Screenshot of a webinar slide titled “Inside the COPSAC Cohort: Unravelling the Biological Pathways of Childhood Atopic Disease.” The slide displays the COPSAC logo and affiliation logos for the University of Copenhagen and Herlev and Gentofte Hospital. On the right side, video call thumbnails show Ann-Marie Malby Schoos smiling, Alex Borg moderating, and Michael Forsmann listening.

Dr Schoos explained how early-life exposure windows shape immune development and sensitisation, drawing on findings from the COPSAC2000 and COPSAC2010 cohorts. She stressed the importance of empowering families to understand and manage their indoor environments, echoing themes central to EDIAQI’s awareness and engagement outputs.

Data, Prediction, and Real-World Exposure

Slide titled “Drivers of Asthma Using Logistic Regression.” A list of key drivers appears on the left, including higher outdoor NO₂ and PM₂.₅ levels and high genetic risk scores. A large chart on the right shows odds ratios for various exposures. Video thumbnails on the side display Michael Forsmann presenting, with Alex Borg visible below.

Presenting complex cohort and machine-learning data in an accessible way, Michael Forsmann showed how pollutant exposures, genetics, and early-life factors interact. His closing point on the potential for sensitisation even at low PM₂.₅ levels strongly shaped the ensuing discussion.

Panel Discussion

Webinar slide titled “Panel Questions: John McKeon.” The question on the slide reads: “From a clinical standpoint, how do you see the impact of indoor air pollution manifest in paediatric patients with asthma and other respiratory conditions?” The right side of the screen shows video thumbnails of the panellists: Alexander Håland at the top, Ann-Marie Malby Schoos below him, John McKeon speaking mid-frame, Michael Forsmann below, and Alex Borg at the bottom. At the bottom of the slide, logos for EDIAQI, INQUIRE, IDEAL, COPSAC, iAIR Institute, and the European Union are displayed on a green banner.

The panel brought all perspectives together — medical, scientific, behavioural, and environmental. Speakers reflected on:

  • The growing evidence linking multi-pollutant exposure to childhood asthma and atopic disease.
  • The lack of accessible tools and guidance for parents and caregivers seeking to improve IAQ.
  • The need for collaboration across research, policy, and community settings to protect children effectively.

Audience questions focused on practical steps families can take, the role of housing conditions, and how emerging IAQ technologies can support early prevention.

Key Takeaways

Drawing from Slido polls, audience contributions, and the panel exchanges, three clear priorities emerged:

  1. Families need clear and actionable guidance: Simple behavioural changes — improving ventilation, adjusting cooking and cleaning habits — can significantly affect IAQ.
  2. Accessible tools for monitoring indoor environments are essential: Many households lack practical, affordable ways to understand their exposure, slowing early intervention.
  3. Longitudinal evidence from INQUIRE and COPSAC is vital for shaping health and policy: Large-scale, multi-year data is essential to identify risk windows, refine guidance, and support more effective prevention strategies.

Watch the Recording and Join the Next Session

The full recording of Breathing Room is available via the EDIAQI Mini-Medical Series. The session showcased the strength of collaboration between INQUIRE and EDIAQI in improving indoor environments for Europe’s youngest citizens.

Link to the INQUIRE and EDIAQI webinar recording, Breathing Room. 

Next webinar: “Clean Air, Clear Returns”

Co-organised with the KHEALTHinAIR project, Clean Air, Clear Returns, will explore the economic costs of poor IAQ — and the commercial and societal opportunities associated with improving indoor environments across Europe.

Link to register to the Clean Air, Clear Returns webinar.