John D. Spengler, a longtime Harvard researcher known for his work on indoor air quality, discussed the evolution of environmental health research during a recent talk at Harvard, according to an April 21 announcement.
Spengler’s early research contributed to major public health changes, including smoking bans on airplanes and increased awareness of asthma risks in public housing. His involvement in the landmark “Six Cities” study during the 1970s revealed that many children were exposed to significant pollution indoors due to factors like parental smoking and gas cooking. “Seventy-five percent of the kids lived with smoking parents or they were cooking with gas for nitrogen dioxide particles,” Spengler said. He noted that cities such as Topeka had indoor air pollution levels comparable to those found outdoors in more polluted urban areas.
The oil embargoes of the 1970s led homeowners and schools to increase energy efficiency by sealing buildings more tightly, which unintentionally worsened indoor air quality. “All of a sudden, people were tightening up homes, they were shutting off ventilators for schools to save money,” Spengler said. This convergence highlighted the importance of studying indoor environments—a field that remains relevant today.
Spengler’s later work included investigating high pollution levels inside airplanes and ice rinks, leading to changes such as banning smoking on flights and improving ventilation practices in sports facilities. In Boston’s public housing developments, he collaborated with local authorities to reduce asthma triggers like cigarette smoke and pests.
At Harvard itself, Spengler helped create programs focused on sustainability and environmental management and was instrumental in founding initiatives that have made Harvard’s campus operations more sustainable over time. “It is embedded in everything the University does and we should all be proud that this University has more green buildings certified than any campus in the world,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, Spengler emphasized that issues related to indoor environments are universal: “The common denominator is that everyone lives somewhere… The issues there might change with modernity of products and outgassing, but the issues are pretty much the same.” He credited his teams at Harvard Chan School as well as his students—many now leaders themselves—for their contributions throughout his career.
