Dear DCHAS-L colleagues,

I’m reaching out to see whether anyone has had success using VOC sensors or other real-time indicators as a practical “canary in the coal mine” to help assess air quality in undergraduate teaching laboratories.

I’m starting a new organic chemistry lab semester, and a student has shared that she is actively trying to become pregnant. This has prompted me to think more carefully about whether our laboratory air is truly as safe as we assume, particularly with respect to chronic, low-level VOC exposure, even in a space that is generally considered well ventilated.

Our lab has multiple fume hoods and decent overall ventilation, but it is not a wind tunnel, and at times VOCs are still noticeable in the room. I’m interested in tools that might help move beyond subjective perception and provide actionable data to inform decisions, conversations with ADA or Title IX, and discussions with students’ health care providers.

Specifically, I’m curious whether anyone has experience with:

• Portable or fixed VOC sensors used in teaching labs
• CO₂ used as a proxy for ventilation effectiveness, in combination with chemical use
• Other indicators or monitoring approaches that have proven useful in practice
• Lessons learned about what does not work well in this context

I am not looking for medical guidance, but rather for practical, evidence-based approaches that can help faculty better understand and communicate the level of risk in real instructional environments.

Any insights, references, or experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your time and expertise.