1200 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC
Humans on average spend approximately 87% of each day in their houses and offices, and another 3-4% in their cars, all indoor environments where we can be exposed to a diverse range of chemicals released from the manmade (and some natural) construction materials or from materials we bring inside. Unfortunately, it has been clear since the 1980s that many of these chemicals (e.g., formaldehyde and flame retardants) can cause human health problems, such as endocrine disruption, cancer, and developmental effects. However, a relatively new research field, indoor chemistry, indicates that the multiple chemicals inside our homes and offices also can react, directly or through the work of catalysts or microorganisms, to create new chemicals, many of which can be very toxic. Thus, understanding indoor chemistry and its impacts is critically important to human health, as well as to building design and to pollution control.
The AAAS Symposium on the Chemistry of Indoor Environments, sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, will provide an opportunity for researchers and stakeholders in this important field to learn from each other regarding recent findings, research needs, and next steps. Participants will hear from leading researchers in the field about recent discoveries, their impacts, and potential applications, and there will be several organized opportunities to discuss and network. Click here to see this meeting’s website.
An open/public webcast link, with Q&A capabilities will be available here.
The meeting hashtags are: #aaascie and #indoorchem
Meeting Agenda:
9:00 – 9:15 A.M. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
Charles Dunlap, Ph.D.; Program Director, Research Competitiveness Program, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Paula J. Olsiewski, Ph.D.; Program Director, Chemistry of Indoor Environments, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
9:15 – 10:30 A.M. PANEL 1: INDOOR CHEMISTRY: EMERGING RESEARCH AND DISCOVERIES
Moderator: Ray Wells, Ph.D., Research Chemist, Exposure Assessment Branch, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Panelists:
- Indoor Environmental Chemistry: Importance and Influencing Factors
Rich Corsi, Ph.D., Dean of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, Portland State University. - Bringing Atmospheric Chemistry Home
Allen Goldstein, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Berkeley. - The HOMEChem Study: A Collaborative Study of the Chemistry of the Home Environment
Marina Eller Vance, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder
10:30 – 11:00 A.M. Coffee and Networking Break.
11:00 – 12:00 P.M. PANEL 2: AGENTS FOR CHEMICAL REACTIVITY
Moderator: Dunstan Macauley III, P.E., Setty & Associates, and Director and Chair, Region III – MidAtlantic, for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Panelists:
- People Chemistry – How We Impact Indoor Air
Jonathan Williams, Ph.D., Max Planck Institute for Chemistry; Swedish Environmental Research Institute, and Technical University of Denmark. - The Impact of Microorganisms in Indoor Chemistry
Rachel Adams, Ph.D., Indoor Air Quality Section, Environmental Health Laboratory, California Department of Health; and Research Scientist at the University of California, Berkeley. - Water, Chemistry, and Exposure
Barbara Turpin, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill.
12:00 – 12:45 P.M. Lunch and Networking.
12:45 P.M. Dr. Charles Dunlap, Introduction of the Plenary Speaker, Mr. Ramanujam.
12:50-1:30 P.M. PLENARY ADDRESS: INDOOR CHEMISTRY RESEARCH AND ITS POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FOR THE BUILDING WORLD. AUDITORIUM.
Mr. Mahesh Ramanujam, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Green Building Council and of the Green Business Certification, Inc.
1:30 – 1:45 P.M. Short Break.
1:45-3:00 P.M. PANEL 3: INDOOR CHEMISTRY PRODUCTS AND THEIR IMPACTS.
Moderator: Laura Kolb, Director, Center for Scientific Analysis, Indoor Environments Division, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Panelists:
- Third-hand Tobacco Smoke, Exposure Pathways, and Health Impacts
Hugo Destaillats, Ph.D., Staff Scientist, Deputy Leader of the Indoor Environment Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory - Exposure Indoors: The Influence of Building Materials and Consumer Product Use
Heather Stapleton, Ph.D., Dan and Bunny Gabel Associate Professor of Exposure Science and Environmental Health, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University - Indoor Emissions: Occupational Sites and Vulnerable Populations
Lesliam Quiroìs-Alcalaì, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. - How Emissions from the Indoor Environment Impact Outdoor Air Pollution
Matt Coggon, Ph.D., Research Scientist II, Chemical Sciences Division, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Chemical Sciences Division, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
3:00 – 3:30 P.M. Coffee and Networking Break.
3:30 – 4:30 P.M. PANEL 4: INDOOR CHEMISTRY PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS.
Moderator: Mary Dickinson, Associate AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal, Dallas, TX; Regional Sustainability Practice Leader; and Co-Director of the Materials Performance Lab, Perkins and Will.
Panelists:
- Bringing the Data Together: The Modelling Consortium for Chemistry of Indoor Environments (MOCCIE)
Manabu Shiraiwa, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine. - Considering a Range of Problems: The Interdisciplinary Nature of Indoor Chemistry
Cora Young, Ph.D., Rogers Chair and Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, York University. - Applications and Solutions
Glenn Morrison, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of North Carolina.
4:30 – 4:45 P.M. Short Break. 2nd floor Mezzanine, Abelson-Haskins, Revelle, and Room 207
4:45-5:25 P.M. PANEL 5: DEFINING THE FUTURE IN CHEMISTRY OF THE INDOOR ENVIRONMENT.
Thoughts on the CIE symposium. (10 mins)
Vicki Grassian, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Co-Director, Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment,University of California, San Diego.
Panel discussion on research and societal needs and the solutions (20 mins).
Moderator: Dr. Vicki Grassian
Invited Panelists: Drs. Rich Corsi, Marina Vance, Barbara Turpin, Cora Young, Heather Stapleton, Manabu Shiraiwa, and Lara Kolb
Open Discussion and Q&A. (10 mins)
5:25 Final Information. Dr. Charles Dunlap, AAAS. Thank you and resources (e.g., release of public report, contact information, survey, and video availability.)