ROCIS News & Events
December 2019
Put a Lid on It: Clean Air in Your Kitchen
When folks use low cost particle sensors or just their sense of smell, the biggest impressions are often the incidents that cause the biggest response... like roasting meat, frying, grilling, or baking. The toxic fumes, odors, and moisture from cooking can quickly spread throughout the home and linger for hours. Health-wise, it's important to recognize and reduce the frequency and intensity of these events, even for electric stoves.

Fortunately, extensive research has shown how you can reduce the impacts of cooking on indoor air and health. This information is summarized in the 2019 update of the ROCIS ISSUE BRIEF, Ducted Range Hoods: Recommendations for New and Existing Homes . This document summarizes best practices for selecting, installing, and operating a quiet and effective range hood. It also includes practical tips for reducing pollutant emissions from cooking itself, along with additional resources and design tools. Consumers, interior designers, and building professionals will find it useful. If you want to provide healthy indoor air for your family or clients, it is well worth reading and sharing!
Learn more about the health concerns and effective kitchen ventilation:




ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP)
Do you want to learn more about how Pittsburgh’s outdoor air quality affects the indoor air quality of locations where you live, work, and play?

Are you a motivated individual that wants to learn more about how their behavior indoors affects their air quality?

Consider signing up for the Low-Cost Monitoring Project. Through this project, we provide monitoring kits loaned for a month-long cohort so folks measure particles, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, radon, temperature, and humidity.
Upcoming LCMP Cohort

St. Clair Cohort:

Kick-off Meeting : Tuesday Jan 21, 7-9 PM
Upper St. Clair Library

Check-in Meeting : Wednesday Jan 29, 7-9 PM
Upper St. Clair Library

Online Meeting : TBD

Wrap-up Meeting : Thursday Feb 13, 7-9 PM
Upper St. Clair Library


Note that participation in the LCM Project is time intensive. Attendance to the Kick-off and Wrap-up meeting is required.

Thanks to The Heinz Endowments for support of the ROCIS initiative. 
(Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces)