Tracking residential pollutant emissions as a determinant of health

In developed countries, people spend up to 90% of their time indoors and around 60% in their homes. Indoor air quality (IAQ) is therefore a major determinant of health and comfort, yet the processes that shape indoor pollution remain poorly understood. The INTERIORS facility (Interdisciplinary Facility for Indoor Air Quality Research) was created to help address this gap. INTERIORS comprises two purpose-built houses with contrasting designs (a typical 1970s UK home and a net-zero proxy Passivhaus) linked to a laboratory equipped with advanced instrumentation. This setup allows researchers to study indoor air pollution in realistic residential spaces and to measure emissions produced by everyday activities such as cooking and cleaning. Volatile organic compounds are measured using both real-time select-ion flow-tube mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and off-line analysis with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The student will investigate how pollutant emissions from cooking and cleaning vary between the two houses, and how each building’s construction and ventilation influence pollutant behaviour. They will gain hands-on experience with specialist analytical equipment and full training will be provided. The student will also learn a range of gas and particle sampling and analysis methods while contributing to ongoing research into indoor air quality. Students will need to find their own accommodation and be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York on 08th September 2026.