In The NoCo

The air inside your home can affect your health. A CSU expert explains how to keep it clean and clear

By In The NoCo,

Published June 4, 2026 at 5:35 AM MDT

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A CSU professor holds a pan and cooks in her kitchen — CSU chemistry professor Delphine Farmer says indoor air quality matters as much as outdoor air quality. One way to improve air quality, she says, is to use ventilation or open a window while cooking.

Summertime in Colorado often means the air we breathe is a little compromised.

There are ozone alert days, when the nastier components in the air along the Front Range make the air feel a little thicker. And there are those hazy wildfire days when smoke irritates your lungs and stings your eyes.

Our guest today says we shouldn’t overlook the importance of indoor air quality. Delphine Farmer is a professor of chemistry at Colorado State University who says the air inside our homes is one of the biggest influences on our health – whether it's fine particulates from cooking, or fumes from bathroom cleaners.

Delphine shared some tips with Erin O’Toole on how to spruce up the air inside your home and what to watch for as you do it.

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In The NoCo

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.

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Brad Turner

Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.

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Erin O'Toole

As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.

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