Achievement

Three IGERT students (Environmental Engineering) are at the forefront of research on zero energy air purification (ZEAP), i.e., identification of materials that remove pollutants from indoor air without by-product formation or energy penalty. Trainee Elliott Gall has focused on near-surface fluid mechanics and its role on pollutant transport to materials. He and trainee Erin Darling have tested several materials to remove ozone in a 70 m3 chamber and IGERT-funded test house. Affiliate Clement Cros completed a six-month study during which five materials were placed at five field sites and tested monthly for reactivity with ozone and by-product formation. Some materials, e.g., clay-based wall coverings and perlite-based ceiling tile, are effective at catalytic decomposition of ozone without volatile reaction products and retain reactivity over long periods. Research is continuing to explore removal of VOCs. Trainee Lindsay Graham (Psychology) will join the ZEAP effort.