Every day, families are exposed to indoor air pollution they can’t see.
SAPPHIRES is building practical solutions that help households protect themselves from poor air quality, starting in Colorado.
SAPPHIRES is an acronym for Systemic, Anthro-centric Packages for Protecting Households In Realistic Exposure Situations.
Help us learn how to keep indoor air clean.
We’re looking for households to take part in an indoor air quality study.
What Guides Our Research
Suitability
How people choose and trust technology at home. We explore how devices fit into daily life and how people balance convenience, control, and confidence in using them.
Anticipation
Getting ahead of outdoor pollution events.
By tracking air quality and knowing when pollution might rise, we can help homes prepare before dirty air moves inside.
Systems
Homes, people, and devices all work together. Clean air depends on systems that connect people, technology, and the environment—constantly adapting as conditions change.
Protection
Keeping bad air out before it gets in. We’re testing ways to block outdoor pollution—like wildfire smoke—from entering homes, using strategies adapted by commercial buildings.
Diagnostics
Understanding how air moves through your home. Tiny pressure differences move air in and out. Measuring those pressures helps us learn how to better manage indoor air quality.
Delivery
Turning research into real-world change.
We’re creating training that helps home contractors make clean indoor air possible for everyone—especially families served through national low-income programs.
Collaborating for Cleaner Air
SAPPHIRES brings together Colorado State University and the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission to improve indoor air quality through research and real-world experience. Supported by the National Science Foundation, this collaboration aims to make homes healthier for everyone.
