Dr. Kerry Reller:
All right. Hi everybody. Welcome back to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast. I’m your host, Dr. Kerry Reller.

Today we’re talking about something that doesn’t get enough attention when it comes to our health, and that is the air we breathe inside our homes.

We spend so much time focusing on nutrition, exercise, and stress, but indoor air quality is a huge piece of the puzzle, especially here in Florida where allergies, humidity, and mold can be year-round issues.

I’m really excited to be joined today by Dr. Jaspreet Dhau, Vice President of Research and Development at Molekule — that’s M-O-L-E-K-U-L-E.

With over 20 years of experience in academia and industry, he has led more than 20 research and product development projects, many funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, and holds over 20 granted patents along with dozens of peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Dhau, welcome to the podcast.

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Thank you very much. It’s really a pleasure connecting with you, Dr. Reller, and I’m excited to connect with your audience and talk about a very important topic — indoor air purification and indoor air quality, which impacts everyday life.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
Absolutely. Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you into indoor air quality research?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Sure.

I have a PhD in chemistry and have worked in both academia and industry. Over the last 20 years, I’ve been involved in developing eco-friendly and sustainable products in many fields, including indoor air purification.

I joined Molekule nearly eight years ago.

Before that, I had not focused much on indoor air purification, but air quality was personal to me.

One reason I came to the United States was concern over air quality while living in India. My son had allergies and mild asthma symptoms, and I thought moving to a country with better air quality might help.

Then there was another life-changing experience involving my son. He was a budding cricketer and represented Florida in USA Cricket. He dreamed of playing for Team USA in the Olympics.

But his allergies became so severe that he had to leave the game.

That was incredibly motivating for me. I started asking: Is there something I can contribute that might help people like my son?

That really brought indoor air quality research to the forefront of my work.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
Wow. I was not expecting such a personal story, and it makes so much sense.

We know outdoor air quality can vary dramatically, and environmental exposures can profoundly affect conditions like allergies and asthma.

I love hearing what motivates people to do the work they do.

So why do you think indoor air quality is becoming such an important part of the preventive health conversation?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
First, indoor air quality is essential, and somehow it has escaped the attention of the public, scientists, and policymakers.

We talk about water quality. We talk about food quality. But we don’t think about air quality inside our homes.

Yet we spend about 90 percent of our lives indoors.

There’s a statistic I love called the Corsi Code:

79 — average life expectancy in the U.S.
69 — years spent indoors
6 — years spent outdoors

Only six years outdoors.

That’s remarkable.

Indoor air quality affects far more than allergies and asthma. Poor indoor air has been linked to respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, stroke risk, and even cancer.

And there are estimates suggesting air pollution contributes to roughly seven million premature deaths worldwide, with a large proportion related to indoor pollution.

The encouraging part is this is something we can control.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
Ninety percent indoors and only six years outside — that’s incredible.

Before we jump deeper into allergies and asthma, what other medical conditions are affected by indoor air quality?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Many indoor pollutants are irritants to the respiratory tract, but their effects go beyond simple irritation.

These irritants can stimulate inflammatory chemicals in the body that may contribute to clot formation and stroke risk.

Some pollutants damage lung tissue, making the lungs more permeable to other harmful substances.

Poor indoor air has been linked to:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Respiratory disorders
• Lung cancer
• Sleep disruption
• Exacerbations of asthma and allergies

It’s much broader than people realize.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
Tell me what’s actually in indoor air that we should be thinking about.

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
There are several major categories.

1. Particulate Matter

• PM2.5 (particles 2.5 microns or smaller)
• PM10 (10 microns or smaller)

2. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Examples include:

• Formaldehyde
• Benzene
• Toluene

Formaldehyde is both an irritant and a carcinogen.

3. Inorganic Gases

• Nitrogen dioxide
• Sulfur dioxide

These can come from:

• Cooking combustion
• Fireplaces
• Gas appliances

4. Biological Contaminants

• Mold
• Bacteria
• Viruses

And also their byproducts:

• Mycotoxins
• Fungal fragments
• Allergenic proteins

These can worsen allergies, asthma, and respiratory disease.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
And where do these exposures come from inside the home?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Many sources.

Particles come from:

• Outdoor pollution infiltrating indoors
• Cooking
• Carpets and dust
• Vacuuming without HEPA filtration
• Smoke

VOCs come from:

• New furniture
• Carpeting
• Paint
• Cleaning products
• Cooking
• Candles and fragrances

Even scented products can release ultrafine particles.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
I talk to patients about improving air quality, but what helps the most?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
I’d summarize it in four steps:

Four Keys to Better Indoor Air

1. Source Control
   Remove or reduce pollutant sources.
2. Ventilation
   Use proper kitchen ventilation and bring in outdoor air strategically.
3. Air Cleaning
   Use targeted air purification.
4. Temperature and Humidity Control
   This helps reduce moisture and mold growth.

Those four steps together make a major difference.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
I probably don’t emphasize kitchen ventilation enough.

Can you expand on ventilation?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Absolutely.

Ventilation matters, but timing matters too.

Opening windows when outdoor pollen or pollution is high may worsen indoor air.

That’s why being aware of outdoor air quality and pollen counts is important.

And in the kitchen, people should pay attention to their range hood:

• Does it vent outdoors?
• What is its airflow rating?
• Is it effective enough?

Those are questions people often don’t think to ask.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
That reminds me of “house burping,” intentionally opening the house to ventilate.

I also tell patients if they get one portable purifier, start with the bedroom.

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
I agree completely.

Especially because sleep is such a big factor.

When you move in bed, you can agitate particles on pillows and mattresses, increasing exposure in your breathing zone.

That makes bedroom air purification particularly valuable.

And I’d also encourage people to look at HVAC filtration.

Filters are rated by MERV ratings — M-E-R-V.

For people with allergies or asthma, I recommend:

• At least MERV 11
• Preferably MERV 13 if the system allows it

Higher ratings remove smaller particles more effectively.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
That’s such a practical recommendation.

And you mentioned sleep earlier — tell us more about the air quality and sleep connection.

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
There is growing evidence indoor pollutants can affect:

• Sleep duration
• Sleep quality
• REM and non-REM stages
• Sleep apnea risk

Studies have linked pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde, PM2.5 and PM10 with poorer sleep outcomes.

And poor sleep affects cognition, productivity, and health overall.

This is another reason targeted purification near the bed can be helpful.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
That could be useful even for patients who don’t have allergies or asthma.

Let’s talk about HEPA filters. People hear about them all the time. How do they work?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
HEPA technology has been around since the 1940s and is very effective.

A true HEPA filter removes 99.97 percent of particles 0.3 microns and larger.

That means if 10,000 particles pass through the filter, only about three get through.

That’s impressive efficiency.

But HEPA mainly addresses particles.
It does not eliminate VOCs.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
And that’s where Molekule differs?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Yes.

Molekule uses PECO technology — Photo Electrochemical Oxidation.

It combines:

• HEPA particle capture
• VOC destruction
• Destruction of mold, bacteria and viruses

Rather than simply trapping pollutants, PECO oxidizes them into benign substances like carbon dioxide and water.

It’s inspired by atmospheric chemistry — essentially mimicking nature’s cleansing mechanisms.

And because pollutants are degraded rather than simply stored, there’s less risk of re-release.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
And that PECO technology is unique to Molekule?

Dr. Jaspreet Dhau:
Yes. It is proprietary to Molekule, and we’ve continued refining it.

Dr. Kerry Reller:
We’ve covered what’s in the air, how it affects health, and how filtration can help.

But I know listeners are probably wondering:

What should I actually do in my home starting today?

And that’s where we’re going to pause.

This has been such an eye-opening conversation that we’re actually going to break this into two episodes.

In Part Two, we’ll dive into:

• The most important steps you can take right away
• What really matters when choosing air purifiers
• How to make this practical for your home and family

So make sure you tune in for the next episode.

Thanks for listening to the Get Healthy Tampa Bay Podcast.