ATM Newsletter Special Anniversary Edition

RESEARCH
ATM Newsletter #2. 25.November.2014
Babies + carpet dust +
VOCs
Text by Brandon Boor
Brandon Boor on the infant–aerosol experiment, his
work in Finland, and Europe–US scientific exchange.
My story in Finland began in fall 2011, when I
worked at the VTT Technical Research Centre
on infant exposure to VOC emissions from crib
mattresses. It was great experience, and I returned
last fall to Helsinki to work in Kaarle’s indoor aerosol
group. I just completed measurements looking at
how infants resuspend settled dust particles from
carpets as they crawl, using a mechanical robotic
crawling infant. This work was done in a large
environmental chamber at the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health. I also visited Jordan over the
summer, to work with Tareq Hussein on mobile
aerosol measurements around Amman.
My office is in the Dynamicum. Fortunately, I have
received a few grants from the U.S. to fund my
research in Finland. Our indoor air group in Texas
has had visiting researchers from Finland, Denmark,
and Belgium, to help promote the cross-pollination
of ideas between Europe and US. I will likely wrap
up my dissertation next summer, and return to
Austin, Texas for my defense.
Here is a short video showing the increase in mass
concentrations as the robot (“infant”) begins to
crawl. (Video credit: Brandon Boor)
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