Ultrasensitive home and neighborhood sensors to detect harmful air chemicals
Project 3 - Development and Field Application of Novel Ultrasensitive Devices for the Measurement of Airborne VOCs
New ultraprecise air sensors and a portable analyzer will measure tiny amounts of harmful volatile chemicals in homes and nearby outdoor air to help people worried about air-related heart and metabolic risks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11112461 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will deploy networks of small, low-cost sensors and a portable high-resolution instrument called MOIRA to measure volatile organic compounds like acrolein, benzene, and trichloroethene in indoor and outdoor air. The small sensors use new surface chemistries and MEMS fabrication to improve sensitivity and selectivity, while MOIRA provides high-time-resolution GC-MS confirmation. The team will compare indoor versus outdoor levels and study which household activities or building features raise exposures. Data collected will help pinpoint common sources of exposures and guide ways to reduce them.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with heart disease, diabetes, or other cardiometabolic conditions who live near industrial sites, Superfund areas, or who are concerned about indoor air quality would be ideal candidates to participate.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate medical treatment or whose symptoms are unrelated to airborne chemical exposure are unlikely to receive direct health benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help people reduce exposure to VOCs linked to heart and metabolic diseases by identifying sources and enabling smarter mitigation strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies using portable GC-MS and sensor networks have detected VOCs successfully, but combining new ultrasensitive MEMS sensors with expanded MOIRA monitoring for indoor home studies is a novel advance.
Where this research is happening
Louisville, United States
- University of Louisville — Louisville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Turner, Jay Robert — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Turner, Jay Robert
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.