The appearance of R2D2 is perhaps the only giveaway that something is different about the article “Managing Indoor Air Quality in the Child Breathing Zone: Risk Analysis and Mitigation,” published in the March 2018 issue of the “Journal of Architectural Engineering.” The Star Wars robot rolled out of the toy box and into a scientific experiment thanks to the improvisational creativity of 16-year-old high school student Eeshan Tripathii, who co-authored the paper with his mentor Joseph Laquatra, professor emeritus of Design and Environmental Analysis.

Tripathii’s interest in the topic was first piqued four years ago when he encountered visible smog on a trip to India and subsequently learned that indoor air quality poses a significant risk in the United States, as well. “The prospect of finding a solution is most thrilling,” said Tripathii, a junior at The Dalton School in New York City. “But initially, I was really overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem.”

So he and his family reached out to Laquatra, who has been happy to draw on his more than three decades of research and extension work on indoor air quality to guide his young protégé through the process of conducting scientific research and publishing its results. Since 2016, the co-authors have corresponded regularly by email, visited each other’s homes near Ithaca and in Montclair, New Jersey, and presented together at a professional conference.

“I have been moved by the importance Eeshan attaches to his work,” Laquatra said. “He displays a thorough understanding of the issues he focuses on and chooses strong methodological approaches for his analyses. His findings have been solid contributions to knowledge in the field.”

These discoveries are the result of Tripathii’s at-home experiments on the dispersal of air pollutants, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in paint, treated hardwood and other everyday use products. He found that heavier pollutants tend to settle down into the child breathing zone just above the floor and get re-dispersed as young children – simulated by R2D2 in the study – move about. Not only are children therefore exposed to more polluted air than adults, but they breathe it in at a faster rate per minute and – with their still developing bodies – are physiologically more vulnerable to any adverse effects.

For his initial solution, a smartphone app that uses inexpensive sensors to monitor air quality and sends an alert and remediation instructions when it detects pollutants, Tripathii was named one of five North American finalists in the 2016 Google Science Fair’s “Community Impact” category.

Having read Laquatra’s research on the disproportionate exposure to pollutants in low-income households, Tripathii is now developing prototypes of a cost-effective ventilation system that automatically improves indoor air quality. “Professor Laquatra has been a real source of inspiration,” he said. “He always takes the time to discuss my research, my ideas for solutions, and their potential value in the real world. I want to follow his lead and create solutions that can reach everyone.”