Research

(CARE student, Andy Estrada, installing a PurpleAir sensor at a household in Hegewisch, Chicago.)

Community Air Research Experience

The Community Air Research Experience (CARE), funded by NSF’s GEOPAths Program, is a learning community that engages undergraduate students in research on air pollution in Chicago neighborhoods.

CARE has supported 16 undergraduates from a diverse range of racial and ethnic backgrounds.

CARE students collaborate with scientists and the community-based organizations to design and carry out research that addresses community concerns about air pollution.

CARE students report research findings to scientific conferences in papers and posters. They also communicate results with the community partners using outreach materials.

Ozone in the Midwest

We study how ground-level ozone has changed in the Midwestern U.S. in response to emission controls and weather patterns.

Jing, P., Goldberg, D., 2022. Influence of Conducive Weather on Ozone in the Presence of Reduced NOx Emissions: A Case Study in Chicago during the 2020 Lockdowns. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 13, 101313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2021.101313
Jing, P., Lu, Z., Steiner, A.L., 2017. The ozone climate penalty in the Midwestern U.S. Atmospheric Environment, 170, 130–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.09.038
Jing, P., O’Brien, T., Streets, D.G., Patel, M., 2016. Relationship of ground-level ozone with weather patterns in Chicago. Urban Climate, 17, 161–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2016.08.002
Jing, P., Lu, Z., Xing, J., Streets, D.G., Tan, Q., O’Brien, T., Kamberos, J., 2014. Response of the summertime ground-level ozone trend in the Chicago area to emission controls and temperature changes 2005–2013. Atmospheric Environment, 99, 630–640. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.10.035

Rossby Wave Breaking

We study how Rossby wave breaking has changed and its impact on ozone variation in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere.

Jing, P., Banerjee, S., Barrera, M., 2020. Impact of Rossby wave breaking on ozone variation in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, 1985–2015. Atmospheric Environment, 222,117112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.117122
Jing, P., Banerjee, S., 2018. Rossby wave breaking and isentropic stratosphere-troposphere exchange during 1981–2015 in the Northern Hemisphere. Journal of Geophysical Research, 123, 9011–9025. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JD028997

Indoor Air Quality

We study the indoor air quality in built environment.

Wenner, M.M., Ries-Roncalli, A., Whalen, M.C.R., Jing, P. (2024). The Relationship between Indoor and Outdoor Fine Particulate Matter in a High-Rise Building in Chicago Monitored by PurpleAir Sensors. Sensors, 24, 2493. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24082493

The study, carried out in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, reveals that outdoor fine particle levels decrease with height, especially at night, while indoor levels rise slightly on higher floors during busy work hours, likely due to more pollution getting in. Both inside and outside, particle levels hit their highest around midday, with indoor air quality generally better than outside. Utilizing low-cost PurpleAir sensors, this research offers insights into fine particle distribution in urban high-rise buildings, providing valuable data for community and policy decisions regarding air pollution.

Stratosphere-Troposphere Exchange

We study the stratosphere-troposphere exchange and its effect on ozone.