Stephanie Taylor, M.D., M. Arch, CIC

In preparing to write this column, I researched the main reasons building owners upgrade the mechanical systems in their commercial buildings.

Most of us in the developed world spend the majority of our time indoors, breathing clean-smelling air that is mechanically warmed or cooled and then perhaps filtered and recirculated.

Just like students in a university classroom, bacteria are adept at learning and responding to new information.

Critical facilities have many of the same HVAC demands as other buildings, except the consequences of unexpected problems can be catastrophic and expensive.

There is universal agreement that homo sapiens, or humans, are at the top of the food chain because of our big brains. The downside is big brains are big drains.

While in Las Vegas at the ASHRAE conference and AHR Expo, I visited the colossal Hoover Dam built over a remarkably short time of five years (1931 to 1936).

Now that many of us are back from the annual ASHRAE and AHR Expo conference, our minds may be jangling from having seen an array of innovative technologies utilizing the cloud, smartphones, and demand automation.

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about the pros and cons of inhaled carbon dioxide.

As engineers work to reduce the risk of Legionella growth in buildings, what strategies can be borrowed from treating illnesses caused by biofilms?  

As a physician, I say, “Yes.” However, building managers and engineers sometimes answer differently.