Industrial Hygiene Research

The core and affiliated faculty in the Industrial Hygiene (IH) Program maintain active, interdisciplinary research programs on a wide range of topics at the cutting edge of occupational and environmental health science. Doctoral and Master's students participate integrally in this research and gain skills and training in research methodology.

Current research topics among the IH faculty include:

Design and development of new aerosol sampling devices for personal exposure assessment
Design and development of personal direct-reading instruments for multi-vapor exposures
Development of microanalytical systems for complex, low-level VOC mixtures
Correlations of airborne concentrations and biological indices of exposure to heavy metals
Reconciliation of international occupational exposure standards
Exposure assessment of pesticide production workers
Epidemiologic study of neurologic health outcomes in pesticide handlers
Epidemiologic study of asthma in shellfish workers in South Africa
Development of 'electronic nose' technologies for occupational exposure assessment
Refinement of international occupational and environmental health management systems
Evaluation of worker health and safety program effectiveness
Workplace ergonomic risk factor analysis
Assessment of indoor air quality: VOC, particulate, and microbial contamination

Support for this research comes from many sources, including the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Institute for Environmental Health and Safety (NIEHS), National Science Foundation (NSF), Center for Indoor Air Quality (CIAR); the Fogarty International Scholars Foundation; and various private sector companies.

The listings of recent doctoral dissertation titles and Master's thesis (project) titles below provide an indication of the breadth of research options available to incoming students. Further information can be obtained by visiting the web pages of the professors. Additional information can be found in the Degree Options section of this website or by contacting the EHS Student Services Office, the IH Program Director, or individual faculty.