As an EMT and first responder for 40 years, I'm embarrassed to say that despite my training and gas detection equipment on the truck, I've never questioned the Recirculate in my vehicles! Thank you. Also: the device shown in the images in your car... seems to be a $175 monitor. Did you evaluate any other more affordable monitors?
Hi David - and thanks for sharing this validation. I personally felt kind of dumb when I finally measured this CO2 stuff early in the pandemic. I used to drive to work with all the windows and recirculate mode hermetically sealing my car, as Philly can stink pretty badly in the morning with atmospheric inversion and airport pollution. Finally the biggest refinery on the East Coast has been shut down, improving our air quality significantly. But I absolutely notice that my own sleepiness (potentiated by insufficient sleep) correlates with CO2 levels in my car, and that trying to cut down combustion pollution in the car has tradeoffs.
The Aranet is expensive I agree. My wife bought it early in the pandemic as part of our crazy spending spree on Covid stuff. In less dire times, I'm sure there are cheaper models out there that work well. I recall a patient telling me Airthings brand works well, and I'm sure there is a Reddit post out there with better ideas. But I am happy you read this, and maybe it will help! Let me know if you notice any "difference" in alertness. I swear it's not placebo effect/suggestibility for me.
I appreciate so much that you are writing about this. Only because of the pandemic did I become alert to cracking windows as beneficial in so many more ways than I had known. (When driving, I never used recirculate--except, as you note, when driving eg behind a fumey vehicle--but I didn’t really have a rationale!) Until this article, I never thought about CO2 as an issue in the way you describe. I just didn’t connect the dots--so thank you! BTW, I continue to be very happy that I splurged to purchase the aranet4 (thanks to you for the recommendation). It is really interesting to see the fluctuations within our apartment and try to figure out what is causing them. Cracking a window always makes a big difference, to the point where we keep windows cracked all the time, now. The other thing I have noticed (after reading about this issue and watching for it), is the effect of having the gas stove/oven on. That’s nothing we can remedy at the moment, but wow, I can see why many have noted that gas stoves are a real problem.
Hi Susan - your comments are always so helpful. I too never really considered ventilation in the car for some reason before the pandemic, but I always rolled down the windows to get fresh air when feeling drowsy - intuitive reaction though not conscious of the mechanisms, maybe too stupefied by hours driving on recirculate mode! I'm glad you've found some parallel uses for the CO2 monitor, and using ppm as a vital sign for home health. We too have a gas stove until we get around to the burdensome task of replacing it with electric/induction. I open the windows in the kitchen when cooking (crack in the winter), and notice a big difference. Like you said, the CO2 really shoots up the most with cooking on flames, and is also a proxy for other products of combustion, benzene in the gas, etc that are worse than CO2. My wife just got a 3D printed plastic case for the monitor which you can see in the pictures - I think it was <$10 on Etsy. Let me know if interested and I'll ask her for the link later :)
I must say your poetic narrative was quite impressive. Sounds like we have should co2 scrubbers for cabin air filters. Another considerations is co from exhaust. A good exhaust should not have leaks, might have an inspection done. I can mention that I read some time ago that is not the turkey or just a lot of carb that makes you sleep sleepy . Also, I think, the blood is rushing from your bank to your stomach to digest that big meal.😁
The narrative was like having dessert before grinding it out with the Brussels sprouts, and you are correct about the sleepiness induced by carbs and large portions at Thanksgiving! I feel my pulse much stronger and faster in my stomach/intestines after eating, so another reason to be aware of which organs are hogging the oxygen supplies and at what time!
I bought an Aranet and I’m surprised at how quickly the CO2 levels can go up in our house-- I thought it was well ventilated-- wrong! I keep windows open much more now. I’ve never tried it in the car-- your posts are so clear and helpful.
As an EMT and first responder for 40 years, I'm embarrassed to say that despite my training and gas detection equipment on the truck, I've never questioned the Recirculate in my vehicles! Thank you. Also: the device shown in the images in your car... seems to be a $175 monitor. Did you evaluate any other more affordable monitors?
Hi David - and thanks for sharing this validation. I personally felt kind of dumb when I finally measured this CO2 stuff early in the pandemic. I used to drive to work with all the windows and recirculate mode hermetically sealing my car, as Philly can stink pretty badly in the morning with atmospheric inversion and airport pollution. Finally the biggest refinery on the East Coast has been shut down, improving our air quality significantly. But I absolutely notice that my own sleepiness (potentiated by insufficient sleep) correlates with CO2 levels in my car, and that trying to cut down combustion pollution in the car has tradeoffs.
The Aranet is expensive I agree. My wife bought it early in the pandemic as part of our crazy spending spree on Covid stuff. In less dire times, I'm sure there are cheaper models out there that work well. I recall a patient telling me Airthings brand works well, and I'm sure there is a Reddit post out there with better ideas. But I am happy you read this, and maybe it will help! Let me know if you notice any "difference" in alertness. I swear it's not placebo effect/suggestibility for me.
I appreciate so much that you are writing about this. Only because of the pandemic did I become alert to cracking windows as beneficial in so many more ways than I had known. (When driving, I never used recirculate--except, as you note, when driving eg behind a fumey vehicle--but I didn’t really have a rationale!) Until this article, I never thought about CO2 as an issue in the way you describe. I just didn’t connect the dots--so thank you! BTW, I continue to be very happy that I splurged to purchase the aranet4 (thanks to you for the recommendation). It is really interesting to see the fluctuations within our apartment and try to figure out what is causing them. Cracking a window always makes a big difference, to the point where we keep windows cracked all the time, now. The other thing I have noticed (after reading about this issue and watching for it), is the effect of having the gas stove/oven on. That’s nothing we can remedy at the moment, but wow, I can see why many have noted that gas stoves are a real problem.
Hi Susan - your comments are always so helpful. I too never really considered ventilation in the car for some reason before the pandemic, but I always rolled down the windows to get fresh air when feeling drowsy - intuitive reaction though not conscious of the mechanisms, maybe too stupefied by hours driving on recirculate mode! I'm glad you've found some parallel uses for the CO2 monitor, and using ppm as a vital sign for home health. We too have a gas stove until we get around to the burdensome task of replacing it with electric/induction. I open the windows in the kitchen when cooking (crack in the winter), and notice a big difference. Like you said, the CO2 really shoots up the most with cooking on flames, and is also a proxy for other products of combustion, benzene in the gas, etc that are worse than CO2. My wife just got a 3D printed plastic case for the monitor which you can see in the pictures - I think it was <$10 on Etsy. Let me know if interested and I'll ask her for the link later :)
I must say your poetic narrative was quite impressive. Sounds like we have should co2 scrubbers for cabin air filters. Another considerations is co from exhaust. A good exhaust should not have leaks, might have an inspection done. I can mention that I read some time ago that is not the turkey or just a lot of carb that makes you sleep sleepy . Also, I think, the blood is rushing from your bank to your stomach to digest that big meal.😁
Brain. stupid autocorrect
Hello KB :)
The narrative was like having dessert before grinding it out with the Brussels sprouts, and you are correct about the sleepiness induced by carbs and large portions at Thanksgiving! I feel my pulse much stronger and faster in my stomach/intestines after eating, so another reason to be aware of which organs are hogging the oxygen supplies and at what time!
I bought an Aranet and I’m surprised at how quickly the CO2 levels can go up in our house-- I thought it was well ventilated-- wrong! I keep windows open much more now. I’ve never tried it in the car-- your posts are so clear and helpful.