IAQ program expands to Alaska

MISSOULA, MT – A federal stimulus grant totaling almost $1 million will allow a University of Montana indoor air quality program, which has previously worked with regional high schools, to expand to Alaska, according to The Missoulian.

According to the story, students will test homes, schools, workplaces and communities in seven Alaskan Native villages to look for fine particulates and will use air sampling equipment, questionnaires and historic data to augment their research, presenting their findings to community leaders in an effort to improve respiratory health.

Lead scientist Tony Ward said: "These are some pretty isolated and impoverished communities. They''re rural, remote and they don''t always have access to environmental health resources."

The project will also create jobs for local health specialists and newcomers to the environmental health field, the story added.