Adsorption and Photochemical Transformations of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons at the Air-Water Interface (Fog and Ice) in the Atmosphere

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This project involves examination of the behavior of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at the air-water (liquid or frozen) interface to address a number of questions. The activities include measuring the uptake of PAH compounds into fog droplets in the laboratory, and quantification of drop-dependent PAH partitioning into actual fogwater samples. In addition, photochemical reactions of adsorbed PAHs will be studied as functions of temperature, pressure and surface type, and compared with gas-phase loss by photolysis. This information will be useful to understanding the atmospheric fate of PAHs as air masses encounter fog and frozen surfaces (ice and snow).This project will train an undergraduate student from an underrepresented group, and involve a faculty member from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) institution. In addition, several other undergraduate students will be involved in the research. The project will be incorporated into two senior research classes in the Chemical Engineering Department. The results of this work will be shared with state and Federal policy makers, in particular those from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, important given the preponderance of fog in southern Louisiana. In addition, collaboration will be fostered between the investigators' institutions (Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College, and Colorado State University).