Modern day products and legacy building materials inside the home are sources of chemicals in the indoor environment and collectively contributed to an individual’s environmental exposome. These chemicals include semi-volatile organic compounds such as plasticizers, flame retardants, material coatings that are found in everyday household items as well as other chemicals found in legacy materials, such as lead-based paint in older homes. These chemical additives shed or off-gas over time and accumulate in indoor air or dust particles, resulting in exposures to individuals via inhalation, dermal contact and ingestion.
Our research team aims to understand the collective exposures of chemicals to people from their indoor environment. We are developing tools and new approaches to quantify the levels and types of exposures from indoor air and dust particles. For example, we are developing wearable passive sampling tools that collect organic compounds as well as metals that are part of an individual's chemical exposure profile. Our goals are to improve methods and personalize evaluations of chemical exposures as a means to enable healthy homes for families and communities.