Every building has an air exchange with the outdoors. Leaks, open windows, and weather can all impact how much air gets in. As outdoor air makes its way in, it carries particles with it. This pollution can have an enormous impact on health.
ROCIS (Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces) is dedicated to monitoring and improving indoor air quality in the homes and workplaces where people spend their time.
ROCIS Mission
Our mission is to reduce the impact of exterior environmental pollution in southwestern Pennsylvania to create healthy and energy efficient indoor environments.
Our Work
Find out more about what we’ve been doing related to air quality, particle pollution, monitoring, in-home solutions, and more.
Channel The Flow: Tips for Improving Kitchen Range Hood Use
Most range hoods currently installed in homes are not very effective due to their design and/or operation and maintenance. Here are some easy things to do to improve the removal of pollutants, odors, grease, and moisture from cooking in your home. More information and...
Humidifiers and Particles: What You Need to Know
When you turn on a humidifier, you could be sending more than just water vapor into the air. While we don’t know the precise degree to which contaminants in water are aerosolized and inhaled, we do know that humidifiers can create a cloud of particles in indoor...
Breathing lessons from 400 Pittsburgh families
Don FuglerCarbon dioxide (CO2) is everywhere. It’s in the breath you exhale, the emissions from your gas stove, and the smoke from your fireplace. Plants use it during photosynthesis to produce oxygen and sugars. Everyone knows CO2 as the “greenhouse gas” that leads...
ROCIS Blog
Read more about our work at the ROCIS Blog:
ROCIS Highlights
ROCIS approaches indoor air quality from many different angles.
These are some of the things we’re best known for.
About Kitchen Range Hoods
Check out this ROCIS issue brief on “Ducted Range Hoods.” Learn best practices for selecting, installing, and operating a quiet and effective hood in both new and existing homes. Consumers and building professionals will find this document useful. If you want to provide better air for your family, it is well worth reading!
Low Cost Monitoring Project
Join our free Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP) to gather data about the air in your home, school, or workplace and test out interventions to reduce pollution exposure. Each month-long cohort provides both indoor/outdoor air quality monitors and expert guidance from the ROCIS team. You could be part of our next cohort!
Clean Air Chronicles
Participants in our Low Cost Monitoring Project witness firsthand how outdoor air quality impacts the air inside. As part of our program, they learn what can be done to improve the air in their homes. These short videos capture a few families’ experiences with low-cost monitoring and targeted interventions. Watch their stories and explore other resources related to indoor pollution exposure.