Events Calendar

Astani CEE Ph.D. Seminar

Speaker: Dr. Constantinos Sioutas, Professor, Astani CEE Department

Talk Title: Physical, Chemical, And Toxicological Characteristics Of Particulate Matater (Pm) From Primary Sources And Secondary Formation Processes In The Megacity Of Los Angeles

Abstract: Increasing epidemiological and toxicological evidence links cardio-respiratory health effects with exposures to ambient particulate matter (PM), and in particular to ultrafine nanoparticles (diameter < 0.15 µm). Emission inventories suggest that mobile sources may be primary direct contributors of these particles to urban atmospheres. Given the amount of traffic in the Los Angeles Basin, it is important to understand how particles from these sources behave after emission as they are transported away from busy roadways and other major sources, which are also abundant in all other urban areas in which over 50% of the earth’s population resides.

This seminar will present a comprehensive summary of the research undertaken over the past almost decade by the Southern California Particle Center (SCPC) to investigate the sources, formation mechanisms, physical and chemical characteristics, population exposure patterns, and health effects of atmospheric particles with a particular emphasis on PM from mobile sources. This will be an overview of research described in greater detail in over 260 refereed publications, and used by federal (US EPA) and state (CARB) agencies to revise and promulgate new air quality PM standards.

Utilizing mobile particle concentrators and other state-of-the-art technologies developed by the USC Aerosol lab, SCPC researchers set about characterizing the physical and chemical PM characteristics on/near freeways, in source and receptor areas of the Los Angeles Basin, the impact of mobile sources on indoor environments as well as ultrafine PM characteristics and emission factors of light-duty or heavy-duty vehicles. The seminar will present the most extensive physical and chemical characterization of air pollutants in the Los Angeles Basin (LAB) to have ever been conducted. Results from prospective human panel studies as well as mechanistic animal in vivo studies linking these atmospheric particles to a host of inflammatory airway responses, cardiovascular and neurological effects will be presented and discussed. In vitro toxicity evaluations of the relatively potency of these particles compared to manufactured nanoparticles in terms of their ability to induce oxidative stress effects, which lead to cardiovascular health effects, will also be presented.

Location: John Stauffer Science Lecture Hall (SLH) - 102

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Evangeline Reyes