CoastalQuant HCHO Research · Intended applications
Measure the air. Understand what changes. Investigate why.
We are developing formaldehyde measurement for questions that arise throughout the life of a building. Screening is the first intended use. Analysis of trends and support for source investigations extend the research toward understanding changes and guiding further work.
These applications are under development and subject to validation. The present scope is indoor formaldehyde (HCHO). Trend analysis and source-investigation support require separate studies; dates will be set as those studies are defined.
Primary intended use
Screening indoor formaldehyde.
What is the concentration, and what needs a closer look?
Formaldehyde screening after construction, renovation, and before occupancy. The intended role is to inform repeat measurements, further investigation, or confirmatory laboratory analysis.
Potential settings: newly finished rooms, renovated spaces, and investigations before a building is put into use.
Evidence required
Requires evaluation of measurement accuracy, interference, uncertainty, and operating limits.
Screening alone does not diagnose an indoor-air condition, determine health risk, establish safe occupancy, or replace definitive laboratory analysis. The program does not cover building or product certification, regulatory compliance determinations, or employee exposure monitoring.
Planned field evaluation: November 2027–September 2028. Studies in real buildings would assess screening performance, subject to validation readiness, an agreed protocol, and site authorization.
Secondary use · Separate validation required
Understanding changes over time.
Is the concentration changing, and is that change sustained?
Trend analysis could support comparisons before and after renovation, changes in ventilation, new furnishings, or corrective work. Repeated observations may help assess whether an apparent change persists under comparable conditions.
Potential follow-up: repeat investigations and assessment of changes after an intervention.
Evidence required
Requires separate evaluation of stability, drift, environmental effects, data gaps, and comparability over time. Describing a measured trend does not establish an ability to forecast future concentrations.
Secondary use · Separate validation required
Supporting investigation of possible sources.
What might explain the change, and where should we investigate?
Comparing rooms, events, and conditions could help researchers form and test hypotheses about potential formaldehyde sources. The instrument would contribute measurements within a broader investigation that considers materials, activities, and ventilation.
Potential follow-up: targeted inspections, comparison of suspected sources, and laboratory confirmation where appropriate.
Evidence required
Requires separately designed studies and controlled comparisons. A concentration reading cannot by itself identify an emitting material, locate a source, or establish a causal relationship.
Interpreting an observation
A change in concentration needs context.
Consider a room where a reading falls after a window is opened. The observation shows a change under different ventilation conditions. It does not establish which material emitted the formaldehyde, or whether the same reading will persist after the window closes.
Meaningful comparisons need records of ventilation, temperature, humidity, room activities, and measurement conditions. Those records help separate plausible explanations and design the next comparison.
Bring a building question to the research.
We welcome discussions with research, engineering, and construction partners about useful study questions and potential future settings. Field studies depend on technical readiness and a defined protocol.
Discuss research collaboration