Career: Resuspension of Environmental Pollutants: an Investigation of Mechanical and Electrostatic Forces

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Proposal No: CBET-0846704Principal Investigator: Ferro Resuspension, the lift off and reentrainment of settled particles into the air, is an important source of human exposure to particle bound pollutants, both indoors and outdoors. However, resuspension has not been well characterized and existing fundamental models have thus far been limited to ideal cases that do not accurately predict resuspension in real environments. To address this research gap, this CAREER project will investigate the resuspension of pollutants using an integrated research and teaching approach. The objectives of the career development plan are: (1) to develop well prepared scientists and engineers who can apply their knowledge in the area of pollutant fate and transport; (2) to increase the numbers of underrepresented students in science and engineering undergraduate and graduate study; (3) to characterize the behavior of resuspended particles through a combination of theoretical and experimental work; (4) to improve and validate a fundamental resuspension model to predict particle behavior in the built environment; and (5) to transform the way people view human exposure to harmful substances by advancing and communicating the role the resupension/deposition cycle in exposure pathways. The PI will conduct integrated experimental and theoretical research to characterize and model the behavior of resuspended particles from human walking. She will employ chamber and wind tunnel studies to quantify resuspension factors and modeling studies to develop and validate a theoretical resuspension model. By providing the tools to incorporate resuspension in human exposure and pollutant cycling models and through a targeted educational and outreach plan, the proposed research could result in: 1) changes in the selection of materials used in the built environment; 2) guidance for emergency response to chemical and biological agents; and 3) human behavior modification and policy changes to reduce exposure to resuspended pollutants. This project will train graduate, undergraduate, and K-12 teachers and students in the fate and transport of environmental pollutants, and increase the presence of underrepresented groups in science and engineering research through active recruitment and mentorship.