Introducing the Chicago Clean Air Resilience Network

colorful smoke and Chicago Clean Air Resilience logo to the right

Chicago Clean Air Resilience Network or Chi-CARN’s goal is to transform how communities prepare for and respond to air quality emergencies from an individualized burden to a sustainable, collective, and data-backed preparedness infrastructure. Our shared infrastructure allows any nonprofit, community, or neighborhood organization in Chicago to access equipment such as N95 masks, high-CADR air purifiers, and specialized equipment like PortaCount machines and far UVC lights.

Pollen Allergy Season: Why It’s Changing and How to Protect Your Air

POLLEN GRAINS under microscope

Pollen is an air-quality issue as much as it is a clinical one, and the same forces reshaping weather are shifting when, where, and how much pollen is in the air. We wrote this guide to explain what pollen is, how it affects health, why seasons are changing, and practical ways to reduce exposure.

Radon at Home: Why Testing Matters and How to Fix High Levels

multicolored Radon period table mosaic image.

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and the second leading cause overall in the U.S., with the National Center Institute attributing 15,000 to 22,000 deaths per year to the long-term health impacts of indoor radon exposure

How to Prevent Mold in the First 48 Hours After Flood

illustration of blue teal mold against a purple background

Research across homes, schools, and workplaces shows consistent associations between damp, moldy indoor environments and increased respiratory symptoms, including wheezing, coughing, and asthma exacerbation. These effects don’t require exotic “black mold”; moisture and visible or hidden growth are the signal to act, regardless of species

Bones Breathe Too: Why Indoor Air Quality Matters for Osteoporosis

orange and yellow collage of bone x rays

Bones need more than calcium to stay strong. New research shows that indoor air pollution—from cooking, gas stoves, wildfire smoke, and even traffic exhaust that seeps indoors—can accelerate bone loss and worsen osteoporosis. The molecules in polluted air spark inflammation, disrupt blood flow, and even leach heavy metals from bone tissue. Cleaner indoor air may be a hidden ally in protecting bone health as we age.

Filtering the Future: HEPA vs MERV 13

cartoon of people fighting in a dust bubble

At Air Support Project, we focus on MERV-13 based air purifiers to clean the air in schools, homes, and public spaces at an affordable cost. But wait! Isn’t HEPA supposed to be the gold standard for air purification? Not always! Read on to learn how MERV-13 filters can deliver three times more clean air than HEPA through the power of multi-pass filtration, and why our organization loves them so much.

Air Support Project Who are We?

Colorful airborne particles against a blue background

Clean air isn’t just nice to have—it’s essential for our health. That conviction unites our Air Support Project team of public-health advocates, designers, and engineers, who came together to build Vello—a high-performance air purifier anyone can set up in minutes. From classrooms to living rooms, we’re working side by side to make healthier air accessible to everyone.

Open Air Scholar: Open Access Clean Air Research

BOOKS and scholar logo

Whether you’re a teacher adjusting classroom airflow, a doctor navigating patient exposures, or a policymaker shaping health guidelines, Scholar is designed to meet you at the intersection of science and action. By harnessing AI to make research clearer and faster to digest, we’re helping people not just find answers—but use them.