ABOR funded project in collaboration with U. Arizona researchers to address ozone air pollution in Arizona. This research has both field and computational components. In regard to field work, we are using a proton transfer reaction - time of flight - mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) coupled with a GC to determine the concentration of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in suburban, rural, and agriculture areas in Arizona. We are doing this with the aim of confirming the theoretical values of VOCs determined by the MEGAN model, a computational tool used to approximate BVOC production.

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Investigating and optimizing abatement techniques for NOx and N2O emissions from semiconductor manufacturing. This includes assessing the performance of novel photocatalysts as well as designing and testing a large-scale fiber optic reactor for application at the point of emission in semiconductor manufacturing exhaust 

Have you ever wondered what happens to that plastic bag in the trash? It eventually breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces, known as microplastics. Because plastics are engineered to be durable, these fragments resist environmental degradation and can persist in ecosystems long-term. Microplastics are now found everywhere on Earth, and inside every living organism. From the deepest ocean trenches to a newborn deer, plastic has become widespread, being carried in the air, water, and soil. We aim to investigate the occurrence and characterization of microplastics in aquatics, atmospheric, and terrestrial environments in the American  Southwest. 

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While annoying litter like cans and wrappers is easy to spot, many harmful pollutants are invisible. One such group is PFAS: Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances, nicknamed “Forever Chemicals” for their extreme persistence in the environment. Their carbon-fluorine bonds (the strongest in organic chemistry) make them highly resistant to naturally breaking down. As a result, they build up in water, soil, and living organisms, and have been linked to endocrine disruption (like thyroid disease) and cancers (such as prostate cancer). We aim to measure the impact PFAS has on local ecosystems and environments.

We are part of the Valley Fever Collaborative. We also collaborate with colleagues at NAU and UofA researchers on an ABOR funded project aimed at getting to the source of Arizona’s Valley Fever problem by mapping and characterizing the pathogen where it grows. Our group collects and characterizes aerosol samples in that project. 

Natural remedies to reduce dust-storm intensity in Arizona (Video)

Investigations of the dust microbiome in collaboration with the Prof. M. Fraser and the ASU Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics.

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Pilot projects on urban air quality remediation with Prof.  Matt Fraser within the Healthy Urban Environments Initiative.

Investigations on the composition of haboob dust storms and their impact on Phoenix Air Quality

J. Eagar, P. Herckes and H. E. Hartnett, The Characterization of Haboobs and the Deposition of Dust in Tempe, AZ from 2005 to 2014, Aeolian Research, 24, 81-91, 2017. 

The Desert Southwest Coarse Particulate Matter Study was undertaken in Pinal County, Arizona, to better understand the origin and impact of sources of fine and coarse particulate matter (PM) in rural, arid regions of the U.S. southwestern desert. 

Papers and more info

Collaborations with researchers in Brazil and Mexico.

Various phoenix studies aimed at studying local air quality

Studies aimed at characterizing burn emissions such as prescribed burns. Collaboration with Northern Arizona University.