It is critically important to improve outdoor air quality. The American Lung Association's 2021 State of the Air Report ranks Pittsburgh's airshed the worst east of the Rockies for 24-hour and annual particles. What can households do to reduce their exposure?

Join a ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project Virtual Cohort!

Now is the perfect time to learn about your outdoor and indoor air quality, the effect on you and your family, and most importantly, opportunities for improvement.



The “Introduction to the Low Cost Monitoring Project” webinar will be held at 7:00 PM Sunday, Aug. 28, and will be repeated at 10:30 AM Monday, Aug. 29. Take this webinar to learn more about the LCMP and our upcoming virtual monitoring Cohort 52 (Sept. 15–Oct. 14). A limited number of folks outside of southwest PA can participate in this cohort.

After the webinar, attendees confirm their interest in joining Cohort 52, and meeting the LCMP expectations. 

Click below to register for the webinar:

What To Expect From a LCMP Cohort

Kits will be delivered to participants through a no contact exchange - either to your door or sent via the mail. The kit includes monitors for particles, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and radon. During the one-month-long cohort, participants monitor their indoor and outdoor air, and receive weekly feedback on their results. During the monitoring period, ROCIS participants can test the effectiveness of ROCIS-loaned equipment, including an induction stovetop and/or DIY fan-filters. 

The virtual format has increased the convenience of participating through:

• No travel requirements (All meetings are online!)
• Flexible meeting times (There are two weekly online Cohort meetings, each with the option of attending in the morning or evening.)
• Shorter and more frequent meetings (Each meeting is 75 minutes)
• Opportunity for more household members to participate (Kids are welcome!)

Over the course of the virtual cohort, the ROCIS team covers a wide range of topics including:

• Accessing and interpreting air quality monitoring results
• Behavioral and technical interventions to improve indoor air quality
• Access to resources to track ambient air quality
• Health impacts of poor air quality

Cohort 52 will be from Thursday, Sept. 15 to Friday, Oct. 14. 

Interested?

Take the first step. Register and attend our introductory webinar, which explains the FREE Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP). This webinar will be offered Sunday, Aug. 28, at 7:00 PM or Monday, Aug. 29, at 10:30 AM. Sign up here. After the webinar, participants will be contacted to confirm their interest in continuing and their commitment to meeting the LCMP expectations.

Questions? Contact Emily Dale, ROCIS LCMP Coordinator, 724 833 8223, ke_dale@hotmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please forward this email to friends and colleagues who may want to learn about monitoring and improving their home's air quality.

Our History & Purpose

We launched the ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP) seven years ago with funding from The Heinz Endowments.

The purpose of this project is to explore and clarify the value of and applications for low cost monitoring devices in the context of indoor air quality. While our focus is on dwellings and their residents, we can accommodate several participants representing workplaces in each cohort—as long as there is a suitable place to locate monitors outside. Monitoring kits are loaned for a period of 4 weeks. The kit includes seven devices to measure particles, CO (carbon monoxide), CO2 (carbon dioxide), radon, temperature, and humidity.

We conducted our first virtual cohort in April 2020. We loved being able to welcome participants from a larger geographic area and to include those whose schedules previously limited their attendance of face-to-face meetings in Pittsburgh. 

Newly Released

Induction Stove Resources

Cooking is often a significant source of indoor-generated air pollution. One way to reduce this exposure is to use induction cooking. Learn more by checking out this  recent summary of induction cooking resources, from Tom Phillips.  (8/11/22 Update for the Kitchen Range Hoods project) 

“Why Indoor Chemistry Matters”, a National Academy of Sciences Consensus Study Report

People spend the vast majority of their time inside their homes and other indoor environments where they are exposed to a wide range of chemicals from building materials, furnishings, occupants, cooking, consumer products, and other sources. This report identifies gaps in the current understanding of indoor chemistry; discusses new approaches that can be applied to measure, manage, and limit chemical exposures; and calls for further research related to indoor chemistry and the health impacts on vulnerable populations. 

Why Indoor Chemistry Matters |The National Academies Press (full report)

Indoor_Chemistry_Report_Highlights.pdf (nationalacademies.org) (4-page highlights)

Why Indoor Chemistry Matters -- Featured on IAQ Radio – episodes 669 and 671

IAQRadio | The Voice of the Indoor Air Quality Industry

Why Indoor Chemistry Matters! Part 1 What the Findings Mean for Practitioners

Why Indoor Chemistry Matters! Part 2 Management of Chemicals in Indoor Environments

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