Research and Innovation
Research
Air Pollution
The presence of contaminants in the atmosphere can produce a wide variety of adverse effects including increased mortality and morbidity in the public, deterioration of buildings and monuments, acidification of lakes and rivers, and forest and crop damage. The health effects of atmospheric contaminants cannot be avoided by staying inside since ambient air is transported indoors along with its pollutants while indoor sources can add to the problems. Although we have substantially improved the ambient air quality over the past 30 years, there are still a number of problems that are attributed to air pollution. Recent studies have found strong correlations between changes in particle concentrations and increased mortality. There has been a sharp rise in childhood asthma.
Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program
The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program (GLFMP) began in 1980 with the objective of monitoring fish contaminants in the Great Lakes. Recently the GLFMP has been transformed into the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP). In this revamped program, the sampling program has been simplified and additional emphasis has been placed on identifying emerging contaminants that may pose a risk to the Great Lakes. Clarkson has operated the GLFMP over the past 5 years. During this period, we have modernized the GLFMP by developing efficient sample processing and analysis procedures. For example traditional, cumbersome Soxhlet extraction and K-D concentration steps were replaced with accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and Turbovap systems. These improvements allowed much faster extraction and used significantly less solvent. Manual clean-up columns were replaced with automated gel permeation chromatography (GPC) allowing faster, more reproducible, sample preparation. For mercury (Hg), manual hot plate digestion and AA was replaced by direct mercury analysis. Other improvements include lowering detection limits, adding additional chemicals to the analyte list, scanning for and identifying emerging contaminants, and including the routine analyses of fish eggs. We have also enhanced the program by developing working relationships with laboratories from other federal agencies, states, and other countries.
Individual Faculty Research
Our Faculty Page
The presence of contaminants in the atmosphere can produce a wide variety of adverse effects including increased mortality and morbidity in the public, deterioration of buildings and monuments, acidification of lakes and rivers, and forest and crop damage. The health effects of atmospheric contaminants cannot be avoided by staying inside since ambient air is transported indoors along with its pollutants while indoor sources can add to the problems. Although we have substantially improved the ambient air quality over the past 30 years, there are still a number of problems that are attributed to air pollution. Recent studies have found strong correlations between changes in particle concentrations and increased mortality. There has been a sharp rise in childhood asthma.
Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program
The Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program (GLFMP) began in 1980 with the objective of monitoring fish contaminants in the Great Lakes. Recently the GLFMP has been transformed into the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program (GLFMSP). In this revamped program, the sampling program has been simplified and additional emphasis has been placed on identifying emerging contaminants that may pose a risk to the Great Lakes. Clarkson has operated the GLFMP over the past 5 years. During this period, we have modernized the GLFMP by developing efficient sample processing and analysis procedures. For example traditional, cumbersome Soxhlet extraction and K-D concentration steps were replaced with accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and Turbovap systems. These improvements allowed much faster extraction and used significantly less solvent. Manual clean-up columns were replaced with automated gel permeation chromatography (GPC) allowing faster, more reproducible, sample preparation. For mercury (Hg), manual hot plate digestion and AA was replaced by direct mercury analysis. Other improvements include lowering detection limits, adding additional chemicals to the analyte list, scanning for and identifying emerging contaminants, and including the routine analyses of fish eggs. We have also enhanced the program by developing working relationships with laboratories from other federal agencies, states, and other countries.
Individual Faculty Research
Our Faculty Page