Victoria Barber, PhD

Research Project:
Evaluating Health Effects of Re-emitted Smoke Volatile Organic Compounds

Grant Awarded:

Indoor Air Award

Research Topics:

air pollution
basic biologic mechanisms
proteomics

Research Disease:

lung cancer

During a wildfire, smoke leaks into buildings and impacts air quality. Smoke is a mixture of components, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are responsible for the smell of smoke. Indoor materials act like sponges for VOCs; VOCs stored in these materials can leak out into the indoor air over time. This is why smoky smells can persist for so long in indoor environments. Inhaling VOCs is associated with lung health problems, so the persistence of smoke VOCs in indoor air is a major health concern. We will do controlled laboratory experiments exposing common household materials to laboratory-generated smoke and measuring the types and amounts of VOCs that are absorbed and reemitted from these materials. Next, we will expose cultured human airway cells to these VOCs to examine how exposure impacts airway health. Finally, we will test surface cleaning approaches to reduce concentrations of smoke VOCs in indoor air and their associated health risks.

Page last updated: October 7, 2025

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Victoria Barber, PhD

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