Academy
MAHA: The Invisible Crisis: How Digital Life Undermines Children’s Bio
The MAHA Assessment from earlier this year reveals a profound and often invisible public health crisis: the widespread collapse of circadian rhythms among American youth, driven primarily by the shift to a screen-tethered, indoor lifestyle. The report argues this biological derailment is a critical, overlooked force ac
Breathe Easy? EU Report Demands Radical Overhaul of School Ventilation
A landmark European report, compiled under the SINPHONIE project, has exposed a silent public health crisis unfolding within the walls of the continent’s schools, where nearly 68 million students and staff spend their working days. The comprehensive guidelines reveal that antiquated building standards and systemic negl
Indoor Air Quality Guidelines in Hong Kong: Analysis for Healthcare an
This analysis combines the Hong Kong Indoor Air Quality Management Group's guidelines for offices and public spaces (2019) and specific guidelines for schools (2022) and retirement homes (2022). It focuses on the uniform indoor air quality (IAQ) strategies, the critical role of CO₂ monitoring, and the stringent IAQ tar
Belgian Practical Guide to CO₂ Meters: Analysis for Publicly Accessibl
This Practical Guide was prepared by the Belgian Federal Public Service for Public Health and aims to support operators of enclosed, publicly accessible spaces in the selection, installation, use, and maintenance of CO₂ meters. This is a fundamental element of the Belgian strategy to protect the public against the risk
Practical guideline for indoor air quality in work areas in Belgium: A
The Belgian Practical Guideline for Indoor Air Quality in Workplaces was developed to clarify the Codex's provisions on well-being at work and to protect employees by ensuring good air quality. The guideline is primarily intended for prevention advisors, but also contains useful information for employers, employees, an
Space OK guideline Optimal Ventilation in the Classroom with the CO₂ m
The Knowledge Center for Space OK developed this guideline in February 2022 to support schools in achieving a healthy indoor climate through optimal ventilation and the use of CO₂ meters. Proper ventilation, which involves the continuous supply of fresh outdoor air and the removal of polluted indoor air, is one of the
The Healthiest Indoor Air in Childcare: Analysis of the Flemish Qualit
The Flemish Department of Care's Quality Manual for Ventilation in Childcare Facilities is an essential guide for creating a healthy living environment for children and staff. Its central message is that poor indoor air quality is an invisible source of health problems, the urgency of which has been underscored by the
The Healthiest Start: Municipal Health Service (GGD) Advice on the Ind
The advisory document from the Municipal Health Service (GGD) of The Hague, prepared in August 2010, emphasizes the crucial importance of a healthy living environment for young children, whose organ systems are still developing. Unfavorable conditions in childcare can lead to the development or worsening of respiratory
Health-related test values for ventilation in schools and childcare ce
The Municipal Health Services' LCM, established in 2006, has radically changed in 2006 the assessment of ventilation in schools and childcare centers by focusing on reducing health risks and improving learning performance instead of simply limiting odor nuisance.These health-based assessment values from 2006, which are
Indoor Environment Guidelines for Childcare: Essential for Health
The National Centre for Hygiene and Safety (LCHV), part of the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), has developed these guidelines for the indoor and outdoor environments in childcare centers, preschools, and after-school care facilities (hereinafter "childcare centers"). The aim is to reduc
What About Cheap CO2 Meters?
Thinking about buying a CO2 meter to improve your indoor air quality? It's a great idea, but a quick search online reveals hundreds of options, often with confusingly low prices. While a bargain might sound appealing, the old saying "you get what you pay for" couldn't be more true. When it comes to something as importa
Your Invisible World: How to Master Air and Light for a Healthier Life
Step into a space and, without thinking, you instantly feel its energy. Does it feel heavy or light? Is the mood uplifting or draining? We often attribute these feelings to our surroundings, but what if the true source is something unseen and unmeasured?For too long, we've ignored the silent forces shaping our health,
How a CO2 Meter Works and Why You Need One
We often think about the quality of the air we breathe in terms of allergens or dust, but there's an invisible, odorless gas that has a major impact on our health and well-being: carbon dioxide (CO2). We exhale small amounts of CO2 with every breath, and in enclosed spaces like homes, offices, or classrooms, those leve
The Foundation: Understanding Circadian Rhythms and Alzheimer’s
In the journey of caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, families and caregivers often face a myriad of challenges that seem to defy explanation. A once-vibrant family member may begin to experience profound confusion in the evening hours, a phenomenon known as “sundowning.” Their sleep schedules become e
Light and cellular function / Mitochondria “the powerhouse of the cell
Authors: Jille Kuipers, Banly Cheung (jille@luxbalance.com and banly@luxbalance.com) 20 January 2025 Research into the interaction between light and human health suggests a link between light and the human skin that can influence cellular function. Studies on the ‘optical’ properties of human skin (Anderson & Parri
Understanding Indoor Air Quality: The Silent Factor in Your Daily Perf
Indoor air quality affects every breath we take, yet it remains invisible to our eyes. In today's world, where we spend approximately 90% of our time indoors (according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), understanding and monitoring our air quality has never been more crucial. From our homes to offices, scho
The Power of Light: Your Complete Guide to Circadian Lighting
The Power of Light: Your Complete Guide to Circadian Lighting Did you know that we spend a staggering 90% of our lives indoors? This simple fact has profound implications for our health, sleep, and overall well-being. Let's explore why light matters so much and how you can optimize your lighting for better health. Unde
Circadian Lighting Design for the Home: Criteria, Standards and Lighti
Lighting plays a crucial role in regulating our circadian rhythms - the internal 24-hour clock that governs sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, body temperature and other bodily functions. Properly designed circadian lighting in the home can enhance wellbeing, improve sleep quality, and boost alertness and concentra
The basics of circadian rhythm and how it affects our sleep-wake cycle
The circadian rhythm (circa dia = daily cycle) is one of the most important and common cycles in living beings. In this article more about the human circadian rhythm. Table of Contents 1. The basics of circadian rhythm and how it affects our sleep-wake cycle. 2. How traditional lighting can disrupt our circadian rhythm
What can you do to use light in the evening without disturbing melaton
1. Avoid light sources where you look directly at the light source. Indirect lighting (via wall or ceiling) is better than direct lighting, eg a spotlight. This has to do with the intensity of the light. Indirect light is often less intense.2. Avoid light sources that contain a lot of blue and green. The cooler the lig
Circadian light and Visual light explained
💡🌈Light influences the circadian rhythm⏱🧠⚡️. This biological rhythm lasts about one day (Latin: circa = round, dies = day).The light enters through the eye and it signals to our brain and body important information, so we know the right time to sleep or to be awake. The right light at the right time influences the natu
Circadian lighting research findings
Here are research papers about circadian lighting: Aan Het Rot, M., Moskowitz, D. S. and Young, S. N., (2007) Exposure to bright light is associated with positive social interaction and good mood over short time periods: A naturalistic study in mildly seasonal people. J Psychiatr. Res, (4):311-320. https://www.ncbi.nlm
Indoor lighting and its effect on circadian rhythm
By Jille Kuipers Perhaps you have sat in a meeting room with no windows for a prolonged period. How did it make you feel? For many of us we lose a sense of time, and feel tired and when we get outside the meeting room for a walk outside the building during a lunchbreak we just notice how dark it was inside or how brigh
Natural Lighting design in Architecture
Before the rise of artificial or electric lighting, architects were first and foremost excellent lighting designers, working with natural lighting to bring nature inside. A timeless example in natural lighting designA timeless example is the Pantheon (126 AD) in Rome - a dome shaped temple. Its architectural achievemen
Tissue culture Lighting with flexible spectrum
This fixture allows you to adjust μmol as well as spectrum.
Circadian Office Lighting
This fixture allows you to adjust melanopic lux, while retaining good visual quality of light all the time.