A study of aerosol pollutants using micro-xray and ion beam methods

The study of particulate matter as it affects health has become major worry for both industrialized and developing nations. I have been collaborating with colleagues in United Arab Emirates (Dubai) who setup a laboratory with the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency to study air pollution.
The applied study is promising both in its immediate goal of studying the effect of air pollution on health in a quickly industrializing nation and in its being a model for international collaboration. Under the umbrella of the IAEA, the results have proven to be useful to the native population, but also to a large expatriate community including a Canadian one. The only existing study of this type has been by the United States Armed forces, so we expect the results of this one to be helpful to the Canadian army deployed in desert environment.

Air samples are collected using impactors capable of sorting particles according to size down to .04 microns. Elemental analysis is done using micro c-ray fluorescence and FTIR. Starting this summer, we are collaborating with the tandetron facility at Western to further study the constituents using PIXE, a common technique in this area.
We hope to collect large amounts of samples during the year via our collaborators and then to do a systematic study here at Western using PIXE.

Faculty Supervisor:

Najeh MF Zarir (Jisrawi)

Student:

JIAYU SUN

Partner:

Discipline:

Physics / Astronomy

Sector:

University:

Western University

Program:

Globalink