Environmental Photochemistry at the Air-Ice Interface

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Professors Cort Anastasio and Davide Donadio of the University of California at Davis are funded by the Environmental Chemical Sciences Program in the Division of Chemistry to study chemical reactions that take place on the surfaces of ice and snow. Snow contains a variety of chemical contaminants, some of which are toxic. It was originally thought that contaminants in deposited snow are preserved, bit recent work shows that these chemicals can be degraded by sunlight. These photochemical reactions can remove toxic contaminants from the snow. However, they can also make toxic products, some of which are released to the air. Unfortunately, understanding of these processes is limited, in part because there are few studies. But there is also a discrepancy in the existing studies: some report that sunlight reactions are faster in snow than in water, while other studies find no difference.In this project, an understanding about how conditions (e.g., snow, ice) impact photochemistry are being investigated. As well, an understanding about the mechanisms responsible for making snow photochemistry faster are being considered. These goals are being pursued with a combination of laboratory experiments and modeling of chemical contaminants on snow. This project includes outreach to the public, highlighting the impact of chemistry on everyday life. It also includes activities at K-12 schools, and the training of undergraduate and graduate students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.