If you’re indoors right now, do you know how much of the air you're breathing is someone else’s ‘breath backwash’ or what pollutants it contains?

The President of the Australian Academy of Science, Professor Chennupati Jagadish AC, said the answer is likely ‘no’, because Australia does not monitor indoor air to scientifically acceptable standards, despite much of our exposure to airborne pathogens and other pollutants occurring indoors.

“What we do know is that indoor air pollution has a negative impact on our health and there are available technological and policy solutions to address it,” Professor Jagadish said.

A new report to be launched today by the Australian Academy of Science provides the latest scientific evidence on the issue and explores the policy pathways to improve indoor air quality in Australia.

It includes a call for a phased approach to establish enforceable indoor air quality performance standards in public buildings, beginning with monitoring and a workplace reporting standard.

The report will be officially launched at the Safer Air Project’s second annual conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

Other speakers at the event include Senator Michelle Ananda-Rajah, Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Clean Air Quality group, Professor Michael Kidd, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, patient organisations, clinicians, scientists, and industry leaders.

“To achieve clean indoor air, we must work together across government, industry and academia to translate what we know into policy and practice,” Professor Jagadish said.

Academy Fellow, world-leading expert on indoor air and winner of the 2025 Prime Minister’s Prize for Science, Distinguished Professor Lidia Morawska FAA FTSE, is the lead expert for the Academy’s new report.

Professor Morawska said every drop of water we drink from the tap and the food that we eat are both highly regulated, yet indoor air is not regulated at all.

“We know poor indoor air quality poses significant health risks to Australians, with exposure to pollutants linked to respiratory illness, allergies, and chronic health conditions,” Professor Morawska said.

“Illnesses such as colds, flu, and COVID-19 can spread in the air we breathe, particularly indoors and 2025 has just been confirmed as the worst year on record for influenza in Australia. What more evidence do governments need to act on this issue?”

Founder of the Safer Air Project, Plum Stone, said despite a large body of evidence about the scale of the problem, decision-making authorities have been slow to accept and use the scientific evidence for improving indoor air quality, meaning people living with chronic health conditions continue to face a disproportionate risk of harm when accessing shared indoor spaces, like schools, healthcare and workplaces.

“We all breathe the same air, but not with the same consequences. Millions of people with chronic health conditions are being put at risk, or quietly excluded, because we haven’t yet recognised poor indoor air quality as an accessibility issue,” Ms Stone said.

“We have the tools. What we need now is to mandate indoor air quality performance standards that effectively reduce the risk of exposure to pathogens and pollutants, and to make real-time data visible for all.”

Glen Ramos has been living with an incurable cancer for 20 years and as a result has had numerous ongoing health challenges.

He said it would serve those making public health policy well to remember that health equity requires attention to the needs and concerns of those most at risk from exposure to pollutants and viruses because of poor indoor air quality.

“I've got a rare thyroid cancer, so the last thing that I want to do is be exposed to viruses and other pollutants in the air which could impact my health even more,” Mr Ramos said.

“We know airborne pathogens and pollutants increase the risk of developing chronic health conditions, and exacerbate pre-existing conditions, so actually, improving indoor air quality is absolutely critical for everyone.”

Read the Academy’s report and watch this video.