Discipline: Ecology Environmental and Earth Sciences
Subcategory: Air
Session: 1
Akash Persaud - CUNY Bronx Community College
Co-Author(s): Fred Moshary, Science Coordinator at NOAA-CREST, Professor of Electrical Engineering at City College of New York ; Mark Arend, Research Scientist, Department of Electrical Engineering at City College of New York
This project is an observation of regional (Ozone) pollution as well as measurement of the various precursors leading to the formation of Ozone. Ozone is created when a chemical reaction between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCS) takes place in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is a health problem as it can reduce lung function and harm lung tissue. These are risk factors for young children, the elderly, and those who suffer from diseases such as asthma. Ozone in the earth’s lower atmosphere (troposphere) can be formed from pollutants released into the air from car exhausts, refineries, and power plants to name a few. Throughout the day the surface air is mixed within the planetary boundary layer through convection as the Earth’s Surface heats up. In search of a solution to the regional air quality problem, various instruments such as LIDAR’s, trace gas analyzers, and Ceilometers are used to gauge ozone and aerosols. Our mission is to identify aerosols and the precursors of ozone, and the effect they have on down-wind areas such as Long Island, New York and Connecticut. We are also interested on how heat waves impact the regional air quality. With a better understanding of the air quality around us, we can help to promote cleaner and breathable air.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): This project is supported by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (Grant # 1560050), under the direction of Dr. Reginald A. Blake, Dr. Janet Liou-Mark, and Ms. Laura Yuen-Lau. The authors are grateful for the support from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cooperative Science Center for Earth System Sciences and Remote Sensing Technologies Summer Bridge program (Grant # NA16SEC4810008) under the direction of Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi and Dr. Shakila Merchant.
Faculty Advisor: Mark Arend, marend@ccny.cuny.edu
Role: Research contribution included taking measurements using Ceilometers?, LIDAR's, and trace gas analyzers such as the PPB RAE 3000 and Ozone monitor. Ceilometer and LIDAR measurements were taken atop of a building in CCNY. Field work included mobile measurements using a ceilometer on four different boat expeditions across Long Island sound. This included setting up and monitoring the instruments. Additional fieldwork included the deployment of a Doppler LIDAR in Sherwood Island State Park, Connecticut. Data analysis included running MATLAB and Python algorithms to generate plots.