Lexington, KY (August 28, 2018)- On July 19, 2018, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' (NIEHS) Partnership for Environmental Public Health (PEPH) released a new podcast featuring UK SRC's Dr. Kelly Pennell, a leading expert in vapor intrusion research. The podcast, Vapor Intrusion and Your Health, is part of PEHP’s podcast series, Environmental Health Chats, which explore how environmental exposures affect human health. In the podcast, Dr. Pennell discusses how researchers are working to better characterize and predict vapor intrusion so they can help communities understand what it may mean for their health. Vapor intrusion occurs when vapor-forming chemicals in soil, groundwater, and sewers and drainlines migrate to indoor air above a contaminated site. Vapor-forming chemicals may include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethylene and benzene, select semivolatile organic compounds such as napthalene, elemental mercury, and some polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides. Vapor intrusion may pose serious health risks if the contaminant levels in indoor air get too high. Dr. Pennell and her team are at the forefront of research that seeks to identify and predict areas that may be at risk for vapor intrusion. Identifying these areas upfront will help communities and officials as they consider different strategies for clean-up and mitigation of hazardous waste sites. To listen to the podcast and learn more about Dr. Pennell's research, visit https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/translational/peph/podcasts/2018/jul19_vapor/.