ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳

Addressing Complex Environmental Challenges

The Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering and Sciences (CAARES) aims to provide a better and more complete scientific basis for air and water quality management. We strive to understand the sources, transport and chemistry that give rise to exposure to pollutants, their potential health and welfare effects and ways in which these effects can be reduced or eliminated.

CAARES brings together world-class expertise, focusing on air and water sensing, sampling, physical and chemical analysis, fate and transport modeling and the application of computational fluid dynamics to air and water pollution problems.

In addition, we are developing new monitoring, modeling, measurement and flow management tools that can provide critical information to state and federal regulatory authorities that will help to improve environmental quality.

Recent 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.
• Forest and crop damage.

The adverse health effects of atmospheric contaminants cannot be avoided by staying inside, since ambient air is transported indoors along with its pollutants, and indoor sources can add to the problem. Although we have substantially improved ambient air quality over the past 30 years, a number of problems attributed to air pollution remain. Recent studies have found strong correlations between changes in particle concentrations and increased mortality. Additionally, there has been a sharp rise in childhood asthma.

Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program

This program, a revision of a program started in the 1970s, monitors fish contaminants in the Great Lakes. We have simplified the sampling, and additional emphasis has been placed on identifying emerging contaminants that may pose a risk to the Great Lakes.

Clarkson has operated this program since 2005. We have modernized legacy pollutant measurements by developing efficient sample processing and analysis procedures. Improvements include:

• Lowering detection limits.
• Adding additional chemicals to the analyte list.
• Scanning for and identifying emerging contaminants.
• Including the routine analyses of fish eggs.

We have enhanced the program by developing working relationships with laboratories from other federal agencies, states and countries.