California Department of Public Health

Environmental Health Laboratory Branch

850 Marina Bay Parkway, MS G365/EHLB, Richmond, CA 94804-6403

Telephone: (510) 620-2802 FAX: (916) 440-5855

Indoor Air Quality Research Internships

The Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program at California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has several Internship positions available in the upcoming year. We offer an abundance of interesting research and policy activities for students seeking projects with real-life application or “real data” to analyze. Our staff members will provide supervision and collaboration. The IAQ Program is located at the Richmond Campus (near the UC Richmond Field Station). Some activities can be performed off-site, using email connectivity with our staff.

There are opportunities to collaborate in the following general areas:

· Green building materials

· Sustainability issues in Indoor Environments

· Green cleaning

· Energy efficient ventilation systems for climate change

· Asthma trigger reductions

· Chemical emissions & IAQ modeling (building materials & other products)

· Healthy Schools & Healthy Homes

· Public outreach & risk communication

· Website design and build

Students in Public Health, Public Policy, Engineering, Building Sciences, Information Management, and others are invited to apply. Internships are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. Financial support is available on some projects.

Those interested should submit (a) a current resume and (b) a cover letter outlining any specific interest and background; also indicate that if the project would be used for course credit. These may be submitted via email: staff@cal-iaq.org.

See further information on-line at: http://www.cal-iaq.org/ (under “Research opportunities”).

Sincerely,

Jed Waldman, Ph.D.

Chief, Indoor Air Quality Program

California Department of Public Health

Indoor Air Quality Research Internships

Submit resume/cover letter to staff@cal-iaq.org

Chemical Emissions from Building Materials & Other Products

· Controlled-Environment Emission Testing Facilities

Our Richmond facilities include a new walk-in room-sized chamber and several small chambers. This is an opportunity for an engineering student to assist us with commissioning the HVAC systems, monitoring equipment, and data acquisition of our chambers

· Emission rates from building materials

This project involves measuring emissions by collecting air samples in small chambers. Currently, we are testing flooring and composite wood products. This internship includes performance of sampling and laboratory (GC/MS and HPLC) analyses.

· Investigation of Chemicals in Cleaning Products

We are developing a database on the chemical composition of the janitorial cleaning products. Indoor air testing and exposure assessment for janitorial workers is also under development.

· IAQ Testing Data Analyses

This project includes analyses of indoor air quality data collected during our 18-month study in buildings of the Capitol Area East End Complex in Sacramento before and after occupancy. There are opportunities to assist in developing statistical and graphical presentations of the results, and the comparison of the collected data to other large-scale indoor air studies of non-complaint buildings, such as the U.S. EPA BASE study and the California Healthy Buildings Study.

Healthy Schools

· Environmental Health Conditions in Public School Classrooms

We recently completed a statewide survey of indoor environmental quality in public schools in California, with particular focus on IAQ and portable classrooms. Data on classroom IAQ, ventilation, and floor dust are available for modeling and additional analyses.

· School Rating Programs

An assessment is needed on emerging school rating programs that attempt to evaluate issues like “green” design and construction and “health & safety” status and operation.

· Asthma in Schools

Evaluate existing codes, guidelines and best practices that impact indoor environmental quality and asthma in schools, e.g., deferred maintenance funding; bus Idling law; asthma medication access law, etc.

Healthy Buildings

· Building and Housing Standards

Assess standards, guidelines and model policies for healthy housing, especially indoor environmental risk factors that contribute to asthma, e.g., code compliance & habitability; inspection programs; secondhand smoke restrictions for multi-use buildings, etc.

· Cleaning Products & Asthma

Evaluate human exposures to asthmagenic and irritant compounds from cleaning product use.

· Bioaerosols & Asthma

Analysis of descriptive home characteristics associated with bioaerosol exposures and respiratory health outcomes.

Public Outreach & Risk Communication

· Asthma & IAQ Technical Assistance Hotline

Materials (FAQs) and phone protocols are being developed for our technical assistance program, as well as training materials for duty officers. Opportunity for student project on public outreach and health education/risk communication.

· Database on IAQ Technical Assistance Clients

Contact records (paper and computerized) for phone and e-mail need to be aggregated and analyzed. Records cover 5+ years. This is an opportunity for a student project on public outreach and health education.

· Web Sites

This project involves upgrading several IAQ web sites to improve its general utility and to provide better service to low-literacy clients. On-line registration for an IAQ firm database is under development. Here are opportunities for students to assist with web-design or writing health education materials.

File: IAQ_internship_2007-12.doc