19th Century Innovations for 21st Century Exposures: How Crayons, Paper, and Citizen-based Science Can Revolutionize Our Field

Oral Presentation

Prepared by J. Volckens
Colorado State University - Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, 1681 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, United States


Contact Information: john.volckens@colostate.edu; 970-491-6341


ABSTRACT

This lecture will highlight recent research at Colorado State University to advance the science of environmental monitoring, with an emphasis on low-cost sensor technologies for measuring chemicals in air and water and for assessing personal exposures. These sensor technologies are designed to overcome classic limitations associated with environmental and occupational monitoring: timeliness, cost, usability, and scalability. Such limitations have hindered our ability to survey hazards, to evaluate health risks, and to design effective interventions that protect human and environmental health. The ultimate goal of this work is to expand the fields of environmental monitoring and exposure assessment by challenging a longstanding paradigm: that scientific measurements must be made solely by the scientific community.