During my fellowship, I focused on finding ways to optimize air sampling techniques. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) include a diverse group of chemicals that easily evaporate into the air and can have various origins. Exposure to VOCs has been linked to serious health effects, making it a significant public health concern. This fellowship worked to advance the already used methods of evacuated canister sampling and low-cost sensors (LCS). By combining the two, we can trigger the canisters to open when a threshold is met to optimize the collection period and prevent possible dilutions. A prototype was developed during this fellowship, that integrates canister use with these sensors, allowing data collection to be viewed from afar via an online dashboard.
This fellowship provided me with insight into the process of research and development and working collaboratively. I was able to learn new, diverse skills that will allow me to be successful in future work. I was also able to expand on my public health knowledge, as I got to assist in environmental safety monitoring, sampling, and creating useful documentation. This fellowship has been incredibly valuable to my education, expanding on my experience and confidence working on scientific research.