A Microbiologist’s View of India’s Built Environment: A Preview of Healthy Buildings 2025
The Indian subcontinent is a place of immense dynamism, rapid development, and unique environmental challenges. With a population of over 1.4 billion people, the quality of its built environment is not just an architectural or engineering concern; it's a critical public health issue. In a recent episode of the Air Quality Matters podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Vinod Kumar Sekar , a microbiologist and the President of the Organising Committee for the upcoming ISIAQ Healthy Buildings 2025 conference in Hyderabad, India.
Our conversation offered a fascinating window into the complexities and opportunities within India's indoor environmental quality (IEQ) sector, revealing a landscape where traditional practices meet cutting-edge science.
The Crucial Need for a Multidisciplinary Approach
A central theme of our discussion was the growing recognition that creating healthy buildings cannot be a siloed effort. Vinod, who comes from a microbiology background, shared how his work controlling airborne microorganisms in healthcare settings forced him to learn the language of engineers. "Microorganism is not only for microbiologists," he explained, noting that true solutions require collaboration between scientists, doctors, engineers, and policymakers.
He painted a vivid picture of the communication gaps that can arise, such as an engineer specifying a certain capacity for an air handling unit (AHU) in a hospital, only for a doctor, focused on cost, to request a reduction without fully grasping the scientific implications. The COVID-19 pandemic, he noted, served as a stark lesson for everyone, demonstrating that a unified, multi-expert approach is the only effective way to tackle complex airborne threats. Hearing Vinod describe these real-world scenarios in his own voice truly brings home the urgency and importance of breaking down these professional barriers.
Rethinking Standards for an Indian Context
One of the most compelling aspects of our conversation centred on the challenge of applying global standards to India's unique context. Vinod argued passionately against the simple "copy and paste" of Western building standards, which are often designed for entirely different climatic, environmental, and even cultural conditions.
India is a country of at least seven distinct climatic zones, from the cool temperatures of Kashmir to the tropical humidity of Kerala. A single, prescriptive standard for HVAC or building airtightness simply doesn't work. For instance, while a Western standard might prescribe an indoor temperature of 21-24°C, Vinod pointed out that many Indians are perfectly comfortable at 27°C and often find colder offices uncomfortable. Adhering to the Western standard doesn't just miss the mark on comfort; it also consumes vast amounts of unnecessary energy.
The full discussion delves deeper into how India is moving towards more sophisticated, performance-based standards that are tailor-made for its regional climates, building stock, and human behaviours—a critical shift for the future of sustainable design in the country.
The Surprising Role of Dust as a Microbial Vector
In a particularly interesting section, the conversation turned to a factor often overlooked in Western climates: dust. In India, fine dust particles are a significant component of both outdoor and indoor air pollution. Vinod explained that from his perspective as a microbiologist, dust is more than just an irritant; it’s a highly effective transport mechanism for microorganisms.
He shared findings from his work in healthcare facilities, where renovation projects that disturb large amounts of dust invariably lead to a spike in airborne fungal spores, such as Aspergillus. This direct link between particulate matter and microbiological contamination presents a unique challenge for infection control, especially in settings with immunocompromised individuals. This specific insight prompted a deeper dive into his decontamination strategies..
Healthy Buildings 2025: A Platform for a New Era
Ultimately, our conversation circled back to the Healthy Buildings 2025 conference. For Vinod, this event is the culmination of a personal journey that began when he first attended an ISIAQ conference in Belgium and discovered a global community of open, collaborative experts. His vision is to bring that same spirit to India.
The conference is being designed as more than just a series of presentations; it's a platform to connect India's fragmented ecosystem of researchers, academics, industry professionals, and students with each other and with the international community. It is a foundational step towards building a cohesive network that can collectively tackle India's challenges, indigenize global knowledge, and drive the sector forward for decades to come.
To fully appreciate the depth of Vinod's experience and the ambitious vision for Healthy Buildings 2025 in India, we encourage you to listen to the full episode. Share it with colleagues in the sector who are invested in the future of our built environment.
One Take: Are Affordable Radon Monitors Good Enough?
In our latest One Take episode, we tackle a practical question many homeowners and building managers are asking: with a flood of new real-time radon monitors on the market, can we trust the affordable, consumer-grade options?
The episode unpacks the findings of a recent paper, "Performance Evaluation of Radon Measurement Techniques in Single-Family Homes," which puts these devices to the test in real-world conditions. For years, the gold standard has been the passive dosimeter—a small plastic device left in a property for three to twelve months. This method is slow and leaves occupants in the dark.
The research delivers two game-changing conclusions. First, it confirms that shorter-term, three-month passive tests, particularly during the winter heating season, align remarkably well with year-long averages. This alone makes official testing faster and more efficient.
More excitingly, the study found that while professional-grade electronic monitors are more precise, the affordable consumer-grade devices are "good enough" for their intended purpose. Despite an average error margin of around 18%, they are consistently reliable for flagging whether radon levels are above or below critical action thresholds. This democratises radon monitoring, putting a powerful tool for protecting health directly into the hands of the public.
For a full 10-minute breakdown of the study’s methodology, its important caveat about very short-term (7-day) tests, and what this means for your radon measurement strategy, tune in to the full One Take episode.
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