AirUCI faculty Mike Kleinman is quoted in a House Beautiful article on the health and environmental effects of backyard or campground fire pits. Wood smoke is made up of fine particles, including soot and particulate matter 2.5, and also generate gases. "Wood fire smoke contributes to air pollution and the fine particles contribute to lung and heart disease," Mike says. "People who have respiratory problems are more likely to be at risk from health effects related to fire pit emissions, and those with pre-existing heart disease might also be at elevated risk when it comes to exposure to wood smoke." The most dangerous instances of outdoor fire pit use include any that burn treated or painted wood or wood products— or if accelerants are used to get the fire stared — because those are very often toxic, Mike says. Read the article
News
Here's the latest news from AirUCI — our events, our people, our science.
2024
AirUCI faculty Jack Brouwer is the inaugural director of UC Irvine’s Clean Energy Institute, founded in 2022 as an umbrella organization to help coordinate and administer sustainability research for several campus interdisciplinary centers. In addition to Jack as the director, several AirUCI team members are on staff at CEI, including Profs. Scott Samuelsen and Vojislav Stamenkovic and research scientists Michael Mac Kinnon and Shupeng Zhu. Jack was interviewed on April 22nd about the institute and its work. Read the article
Research conducted in AirUCI's Randerson, Czimczik, and Guenther groups points to increased instability in forest ecosystems. In the Randerson group, AirUCI grad student Jinhyuk Kim led a study that found ecosystems at high latitudes are becoming increasingly unstable as a result of increased wildfires. “We’re seeing higher levels of photosynthesis that persist for decades after fire,” said Jinhyuk. “Instead of the evergreen conifer forest coming back right away, in some regions, we see a long-term replacement of these forests with faster-growing species.” In a study led by Allison Welch, AirUCI grad student in the Czimczik group, her team explored plant expansion across the Arctic ecosystem. “With increasing temperatures and wildfire activity, we’re seeing increased growth of bigger, deciduous shrubs,” said Allison.
Hui Wang, AirUCI grad student in the Guenther group, conducted a third study which was focused on an unexpected rise in emissions of isoprene – an important molecule that influences local climate through its effects on ozone, aerosols, and methane levels. “This change will indirectly change the climate,” said Hui,. noting that rising temperatures have prompted plants to release more isoprene. Read the article
AirUCI faculty Filipp Furche has been named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Filipp is recognized for distinguished contributions to the fields of computational and theoretical chemistry with applications to the structure and bonding of rare-earth and actinide metal complexes. His work has significantly contributed to his fields of study. With the addition of Filipp to this distinguished group, UCI has 207 AAAS fellows. Congratulations, Filipp!
AirUCI facutly Sarah Finkeldei is featured in an article about UCI's nuclear reactor facility. Founded in 1969 by honorary AirUCI faculty Sherry Rowland, the facility has a storied history and Sarah's work is opening new possibilities and new collaborations. Read the article
AirUCI faculty Jun Wu is quoted in study that links pre-term and low-weight births in Louisiana’s Ascension Parish to toxic air pollution. The area is also known locally as Cancer Alley for the chemicals emitted from the many petrochemical plants and refineries there. Jun is surprised that, until recently, no one had studied the link between air pollution in the region and poor birth outcomes. “Air toxins also have been shown to be related to increased risk of birth defects, but the data for the birth defects are harder to get,” she said. Read the article
A new paper from AirUCI's Smith research group is the first published from the work of our "Beyond the Tailpipe" team on emissions from brakes and tires. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and covered in an article on The Brake Report, the team’s findings underscore the complexity of vehicle-related air pollution, extending beyond tailpipe emissions to include brake wear particles. AirUCI grad student Adam Thomas and postdoc Paulus Bauer are the leading researchers on the study, which is generating a lot of media attention. Read the article Read the UCI News
Honorary AirUCI team member Tracy Caldwell Dyson is profiled as one of 13 female astronauts with connections to UC campuses. Tracy, former postdoc in the Finlayson-Pitts and Hemminger groups, will launch on March 21st for her third trip into space. Bon voyage, Tracy, and happy landings! Read the article
AirUCI faculty Jane Baldwin is quoted in a Reuters article on February's record-breaking global heat. The added heat from global warming coupled with El Nino wreaks havoc on global systems, helping melt glaciers in the poles and mountains, raising sea levels, and driving extreme weather. Record high temperatures in the summer — now underway in Southern Hemisphere — generally leads to a spike in heat-related deaths, said Jane. "Heat is a substantial silent killer." Read the article
On the February 22nd broadcast of NPR's Marketplace, AirUCI grad student Candelaria Bergero (Davis group) was interviewed about a recent study on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). Unlike the automotive industry, aviation is considered a “hard to decarbonize sector”. “I think we all benefit from flying,” she said. “So if we could find a way to do this without harming the planet, I think it’d be very beneficial.” But not all SAF is created equal. “When we say ‘sustainable aviation fuels,’ we kind of imply that they’re all the same, but they’re not. For example, if the energy powering a biofuels production plant comes from fossil fuels, that can cancel out carbon savings,” Candelaria said. Read and hear the interview
