New Yorkshire lab facility will examine air quality in homes

A facility for the study of indoor air quality is being developed in York and could shape how future homes are built. Scientists will measure how activities such as cooking, cleaning and DIY affect the quality of the air people breathe at home after researchers at the University of York secured funding for a pioneering £1.2million three-year project.

By Laura Reid

Published 2nd Mar 2023, 11:50 BST

The project includes the construction of a £500,000 facility, designed as a semi-detached house. One side of the house will be energy efficient and modern, the other side will be more typical of UK buildings from the 1950s-1960s. A lab will monitor the air quality in each side of the house as identical activities are carried out under different ventilation and build conditions. The impact of things like internal furnishings on indoor air quality will also be examined.

Work on the facility is set to start this spring and it is hoped the centre will be fully operational by 2026. The project is being led by Nic Carslaw, Professor of Indoor Air Chemistry, who secured funding from the Wolfson Foundation, with further support from the University of York. Researchers will use the facility to provide solutions for improving indoor air quality in the homes of the future and facilitate improved building design.