This monthly seminar will feature presentations from EPA members of Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education (ORISE) and an invited speaker from industry or academia, with a Q&A session after each speaker. For the month of January, we will be joined by Dr. Joi Chu-Ketterer, a ORISE participant in US EPA's Center for Environment Solutions & Emergency Response and Prof. Matthew Stanley Johnson, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen.

Title:
Emerging air pollutants: Microfibers, environmental DNA and hyperlocal variation

Abstract:
In this talk I will give an overview of our research and the work of others in regards to several emerging air pollutants. First, we have found airborne microfibers of plastic, wool and cotton containing soot and DNA. Second, we have used DNA trapped on air filters to detect endangered species. Finally, I will present the first results from the world's largest dense network of low cost air pollution sensors now operating in London. Using the network we are able to see significant hyperlocal variation in urban pollution over short spatial and time scales. These variations have a decisive impact on personal and occupational exposure to air pollution.