Cooking at home is so commonplace that you may not be aware of how significant of an impact it can have on your indoor air quality. You might think that the occasional scorched squash or burnt batch of bacon is the main source of cooking pollution, but the truth is that every time you turn on your stove or oven, you may be exposing yourself to pollutants.

Some of the pollutants from cooking include:

• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Formaldehyde (CH₂O)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂)
• Particulate Matter (PM)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

The good news is, with a few simple steps, you can cut back on how much your cooking affects the air quality in your home.

Learn about these issues and more in our two recent blog posts:

• Cut it Off at the Source: Tips for Reducing Indoor Emissions
• Channel The Flow: Tips for Improving Kitchen Range Hood Use

To complement the valuable cooking information from our recent blog posts, ROCIS team member and healthy buildings researcher, Tom Phillips has released an update for our Kitchen Range Hood Guide. This January 2024 update covers new tech in the residential kitchen range hoods space, recent news on the gas cooking debate, and more. You can find it on our website and download a PDF at What’s Cooking: Update to ROCIS Range Hood Guide.

Registration is open for the introductory webinar for the February–March

ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project Cohort!

LCMP Testimonial

"ROCIS’s Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP) opened my eyes to how much poor outdoor air quality and my daily indoor activities affect the air quality inside my house. The cohort was very well organized and fun to participate in. I expect the knowledge I learned and the changes I made to improve my indoor air quality will result in better health for me and my family."

–Ned Ketyer, M.D., Cohort 57

Join a ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project Virtual Cohort to learn more about the impact of outdoor pollution in your home

Want to take control of your indoor air quality? Take our introductory webinar to learn the basics of the LCMP program. Webinar attendees will be invited to confirm their interest in joining the cohort and commit to meeting the LCMP expectations. The webinar—as well as participation in the LCMP—is free to participants. 

Each cohort can accommodate a small number of participants outside of Western PA.

The “Introduction to the Low Cost Monitoring Project” webinar for Cohort 58 will be held Thursday, January 18, at 7:00 PM Eastern & repeated Friday, January 19, 10:30 AM Eastern.

Cohort 58 Program/Monitoring Dates: Thursday, February 1 – Friday, March 1 

What to Expect From an LCMP Cohort

Once you've joined a cohort, we deliver a monitoring kit to your door (or send it to you in the mail if you're outside of western PA). These kits include monitors for particles, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and radon for testing indoor and outdoor air. During the monitoring period, ROCIS participants can also test ROCIS-loaned equipment such as an induction stovetop, a portable air cleaner, and/or DIY fan-filters. 

Virtual Format: 

• No travel requirements! 
• Flexible meeting times! 
• Kids are welcome to join with their parents! 

Topics Include: 

• Air quality monitors 
• Behavioral and technical interventions 
• Tracking ambient air quality 
• Health impacts of poor air quality 

Questions? Contact Emily Dale, ROCIS LCMP Coordinator, 724-833-8223, ke_dale@homtail.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.

LCMP Testimonial

"I was grateful to be a part of the ROCIS Virtual Cohort. The time and effort to participate were well worth it. My family and I feel we now have a greater understanding of our indoor and outdoor air quality and how to make changes to improve it. Thank you to everyone at ROCIS for this great opportunity!"

–Ann, Cohort 45

Want to help your friends and neighbors in southwestern Pennsylvania improve their air quality? Share this email!

Our programs empower homeowners and residents with data-driven assessment of indoor spaces and proven air quality solutions.

We hope you’ll consider joining our next LCMP cohort or telling someone else about the program.

Linda, for the ROCIS Team

Linda Wigington

Team Leader | Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces (ROCIS) 

Lwigington1@outlook.com

724-986-0793 (mobile)