PIC 2017: The 15th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects

The 15^th International Congress on Combustion By-Products and Their Health Effects was held June 27-30 in Seoul South Korea.  This conference, also known as PIC 2017, was co-hosted by The Korean Society of Combustion (http://www.kosco.or.kr/) and the PIC Congress Office at Louisiana State University (www.lsu.edu/piccongress) and sponsored by National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS).  The congress is held every two years with the goal of providing an international forum to discuss topics such as the origins, fate, and health effects of the products of combustion.  The main theme of PIC 2017 was “Coping with Expanding Regulations:  Health and Environmental Effects of Combustion By-products from Newly Recognized Sources of Pollution”.  To learn more about the history and mission of the PIC Congress please visit http://www.lsu.edu/piccongress/mission.html.

 

LSU SRP researchers played a major role at this year’s PIC Congress.  Dr. Slawo Lomnicki, Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences at Louisiana State University and leader of LSU SRP Materials Core and Project 1:  Formation and Reactions of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals in Thermal Processing of Superfund Wastes and Dr. Stephania Cormier, the Plough Foundation Chair of Excellence in Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Director of the LSU SRP, and leader of Project 2: Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals Alter Pulmonary Immunologic Homeostasis, served as Executive Committee Co-Chairs. Dr. Cormier also gave part of the welcome address and served as the chair for the session “Combustion-Derived Nanomaterials I”.

 

LSU SRP researchers, trainees and alumni contributed to the following presentations at PIC 2017:

• “Reduced lung function in adult mice after exposure to environmentally persistent free radicals is preceded by vascular injury” (Tammy Dugas).
• “Inhaled environmentally persistent free radical particulate matter produce toxicity and adjuvant effects following house-dust mite induction of asthma in mice” (Alexandra Noël, Ashlyn C. Harmon, Balamurugan Subramanian, Zakia Perveen, Kurt Varner, Kelsey Legendre, Daniel B. Paulsen, Tammy R. Dugas and Arthur L. Penn).
• “Radical containing combustion derived particulate matter activate aryl hydrocarbon receptor and enhance pulmonary Th17 inflammation (Sridhar Jaligama, Vivek Patel, Asmaa Sallam, Pingli Wang, Jeffrey Harding and Stephania A. Cormier)
• “Persistent free radicals from pyrolysis of lignin and lignin model compounds” (L. Khachatryan, M. Barekati-Goudarzi, M. Xu, R. Asatryan and D. Boldor).
• “The effect of particulate matter mineral composition on environmentally persistent free radical (EPFR) formation (Elisabeth E. Feld-Cook, Lisa Bovenkamp-Langlois and Slawo M. Lomnicki).
• “Mechanisms for formation of PCDD/F via surface-assisted coupling of precursors (Hantarto Widjaja, Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski, Jakub Skut, Slawomir M. Lomnicki and Mohammednoor Altarawneh).
• “Gas-to-particle partitioning constants of volatile organic compounds (Eric P. Vejerano, Guiying Rao, Hannah M. Rogers and Linsey C. Marr)
• “Application of the continuous ambient particulate monitor in the long-term assessment of atmospheric dioxins (Meng-xia Xu, Jun He, Neng-bin Xu, Li-bo Zhu, Ying-guo Fan, Jie Yu, Bing-jian Yang, Shen-jie Li, Wei-feng Wang and Dan-dan Xu)

To learn more about PIC 2017, the host institution, and see the full agenda please visit http://www.pic2017.kr/.  Pictures from PIC 2017 are also available on the LSU SRP Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/LSUSRP/photos/

The LSU SRP Research Translation Core is “Shining Light on Pollution”

The LSU SRP RTC hosted a Louisiana 4-H University Clover College track and the Big Buddy program for summer enrichment activities again this year.  Clover College offers a hands-on learning experience for youth as part of 4-H University, an annual event where 4-H members compete in contests, explore careers, and discover new interests.  Big Buddy is an organization that provides positive role models and quality learning experiences for the underserved children and youth of Baton Rouge.  Both Louisiana 4-H and Big Buddy are LSU SRP research translation partners.

Louisiana 4-H University Clover College “Tracking Toxins: Shining Light on Pollution” participants and LSU Superfund Research Program hosts.

This year’s Clover College session was entitled “Tracking Toxins:  Shining Light on Pollution” and was held June 21-22 at LSU.  One of the highlights of the track was giving students the opportunity to build and test their own particulate matter (PM) detectors using a programmable microcontroller (Arduino), a simple dust sensor, and basic electronics (LEDs, resistors, wire, and breadboards).  Particulate matter has been liked to harmful effects on human health and is one of the 6 criteria air pollutants and a focus of the research at the LSU SRP.

The “Shining Light on Pollution” activity involved building a PM detector from basic electrical components, including a breadboard, a dust sensor, and LEDs (left) and connecting the components to a programable microcontroller (Arduino) with code that tells the Arduino to light up LEDs based on the number of particles detected (right).

The activity and code for the Arduinos was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the supplies were purchased using a grant from SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics.  The dust sensor uses a small heat source (a resistor) to create airflow (warm air rises), a light source (a LED) and a light receptor.   The LED shines light on the particles in the air flowing through the sensor and the amount of light deflected by the particles is measured by a light receptor.  These measurements are converted to particle counts and the code tells the Arduino to light up LEDs based on how many particles are seen:  1 LED for a low number of particles, 2 LEDs for a moderate amount of particles, and 3 LEDs for a high amount of particles.

Tracking Toxins participants learned about the discovery of ozone by Christian Friedrich Schönbein (left) and made ozone test paper by coating filter paper with paste made from potassium iodide and starch (right).

To complement the activities about PM pollution, Clover College participants also learned about ozone (O₃), another air pollutant.   The students recreated a simple ozone test developed in the 1840’s by the German-Swiss chemist Christian Friedrich Schönbein, the scientist credited with discovering ozone.  The Schönbein test is based on the oxidizing ability of ozone and the relationship between concentration and absorbance (Beer’s Law).  Students applied a paste made of starch and potassium iodide (KI) to filter paper and then observed the color changes.  Ozone oxidizes the potassium iodide on the paper to produce potassium hydroxide (KOH) and iodine (I₂) and the iodine reacts with the starch to produce a purple color.  The intensity of the purple color is related to the amount of ozone in the air.

Ozone detector deployed near a photocopier (left). Students spraying ozone-detecting filter paper with water to observe results (right).

The experimental design for our test involved placing both experimental and control (inside a covered petri dish) ozone papers in 6 different indoor locations.  We collected the papers the following morning and sprayed them with water to observe the results. As expected, the control papers exhibited less color change than the experimental papers but ozone concentrations varied from room to room and between the two buildings.

LSU SRP trainee Ajit Ghimire and LSU SRP Research Translation Coordinator Jen Irving explain how lichens can be used as indicators of air quality (left). Clover College participants build the reactants for the combustion reaction out of Legos™ (right).

While the PM detectors and ozone tests were the main focus of our track, we also made and deployed simple particulate matter test strips, searched for pollution-sensitive lichens, and learned about combustion by-products by constructing models of combustion reactions using Legos™.  Finally, we showed our Clover College students how to find information about air pollution where they live on the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s (LDEQ) Air Quality Data and Air Quality Index (AQI) and the EPA’s AirNow.gov webpages.

Jay Thibodeaux helps interpret ozone concentrations (left) and Ajit Ghimire and Jen Irving present completion certificates (right).

Thanks to trainee LSU SRP trainee Ajit Ghimire and Jay Thibodeaux, a senior in the School of Plant, Environment, and Soil Sciences, for their assistance!  To see more pictures from “Tracking Toxins:  Shining Light on Pollution,” please visit our Facebook album Clover College 2017.

Big Buddy Program participants used Science Take Out kits to learn about lead pollution and its effects on human health (left) and discussed how the media portrayed the lead crisis in Flint, Michigan (right).

The LSU SRP has partnered with Big Buddy, an organization that provides positive role models and quality learning experiences for the underserved children and youth of Baton Rouge, for several years.   This year our summer enrichment activities were part of summer camp program called “Teen Get Out,” a partnership between Big Buddy and the Recreation and Park Commission for the Parish of East Baton Rouge (BREC).  One group of our Big Buddy students also got to build particulate matter detectors and learn about PM pollution.  Our other group of Big Buddy students learned about lead poisoning by using a hands-on kit from Science Take-Out and discussed how the media portrayed the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Big Buddy/ BREC Teen Get Out participants at the LSU Hill Farm Teaching Facility (left) and posing with their completed PM detector (right).

To see more pictures from our activities with Big Buddy, please visit our Facebook albums:  Big Buddy and BREC Teen Get Out June 9, 2017 and More Big Buddy/BREC Teen Get Out! June 15.

LSU SRP Presents at the LSU Biomedical Collaborative Research Program Workshop

Dr. Tammy Dugas and Dr. Arthur Penn answer questions after their presentation about cardio-pulmonary responses following inhalation exposure to environmentally persistent free radicals at the LBCRP workshop on September 8th, 2016.

 

Dr. Tammy Dugas (Professor, LSU A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and LSU SRP Oxidative Stress Core Leader) and Dr. Arthur Penn (Professor, LSU A&M School of Veterinary Medicine) presented at the LSU Biomedical Collaborative Research Program (LBCRP) workshop on Thursday, September 8, 2016.  The LBCRP is a collaborative effort between Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU A&M), the Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), and LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans (LSUHSC-NO) School of Medicine to promote interdisciplinary and other team approaches to biomedical research.

The research Drs. Dugas and Penn presented was funded by a LCBRP grant to Dr. Penn, Dr. Kurt Varner (Professor and Head, Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, LSUHSC-NO and Research Leader for LSU SRP Project 4:  Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals Increase Cardiac Vulnerability to Ischemia), Dr. Dugas, and Dr. Alexandra Noel (Post-Doctoral Researcher, LSU A&M School of Veterinary Medicine).  The work builds on research funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) at the Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center (LSU SRP) to characterize and synthesize environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs).

Environmentally persistent free radicals are a unique particle-pollutant system that forms during combustion processes that can penetrate deep into the lungs, move into the blood, and potentially cause systemic and localized oxidant and inflammatory reactions.  Traditional inhalation delivery systems used in exposure studies are difficult to use for extended periods of time and do a poor job replicating exposure to ambient air.  Dr. Penn and colleagues developed a new customized whole-body inhalation system that will more closely model “real world” inhalation exposures to airborne particulates containing EPFRs.

LSU SRP Research Translation Core Engages Big Buddy Students in Environmental Health Investigations

The Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center Research Translation Core (LSU SRP RTC) would like to thank Big Buddy for sharing their summer with us.  Big Buddy is one of our research translation partners and LSU SRP RTC has provided outreach and education on environmental health topics to Big Buddy’s summer enrichment camps since 2014.  One of the highlights of the 2016 summer program was the opportunity to field test some new kits that focus on topics in environmental health science.  The development of the kits is a collaborative effort between Science Take-Out and researchers from the University of Rochester’s Environmental Health Sciences Center made possible by a grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).  None of the activities require special equipment and the lab tests have all been designed to use non-toxic chemicals.

Left: LSU SRP Research Translation Coordinator Jen Irving discussed common sources of lead and the health effects of lead poisoning. Right: We used the Science Take-Out kit “Lead: An Element of Danger” to explore the health effects of lead.

We learned about how past practices contributed to widespread lead contamination in the United States, how current polices have reduced the amount of lead in our environment, what the health effects of lead poisoning are, and how to avoid exposure to lead.  The kids conducted a simulated blood lead test for a child with suspected lead poisoning and then tested samples of dust, soil, water, and pottery fragments for lead from the child’s home.  Based on the data gathered from our tests, we discussed what the family could do to reduce their exposure to lead.  We were also able to compare the information about the lead poisoning scenario in the kit with the real world lead contamination event occurring in Flint, Michigan.

Left: Students tested simulated water samples for nitrates, coliform bacteria, and arsenic using the “Safe Water” kit. Right: The simulated tests showed that the family’s well water was contaminated with coliform bacteria and nitrates but that municipal tap water and bottled water were not.

We used the “Safe Water” and “A Case of Pesticide Poisoning” kits to explore the concept of how land use practices can impact both human and environmental health.  With the “Safe Water” kit, we conducted simulated water quality tests to determine if well water contamination was behind an infant’s failure to thrive.  The results of the tests indicated that the family’s well was contaminated with both nitrates and coliform bacteria.  We then discussed possible sources of the contamination, options for dealing with water contamination, and the pros and cons of using bottled water as a precaution.

Left: Participants tested simulated urine for pesticide metabolites. Right: The components of the “A Case of Pesticide Poisoning” kit.

The activities in “A Case of Pesticide Poisoning” followed the same pattern as the other two kits:  a family starts to feel sick and the kids get to investigate what is causing the symptoms.  In this case, we explored some of the common pesticides used in the United States, where they are used (including the “foggers” used in homes to kill pests like roaches, fleas, and bed bugs), and how the improper use of pesticides can lead to problems.

Left: LSU SRP Research Translation Core Leader Maud Walsh discussed the importance of reading product labels. Right: LSU SRP Undergraduate Trainee Grace LeBlanc helped Big Buddy participants “trap” the iron in cereal with hand-held magnets.

While the Science Take-Out kits were an exciting new addition to our summer enrichment program, we also used other hands-on activities to bring home some core concepts in environmental health science.  One of these is the idea that there are chemicals all around us, often added to the food we eat and the products we use, and it is the dosage and proper use of these items that determine its safety.  Iron added to cereal is great example of this.

Left: Grace LeBlanc explained how to construct the lung simulator. Right: We used simulated lungs and particulate matter (talcum powder in squirt bottles) to explore how particulate pollution can enter the respiratory tract.

Since our Center focuses on the health effects of environmental persistent free radicals (EPFRs), which may be formed by combustion, no education or outreach program would be complete without some activities dedicated to air pollution and respiratory health.  LSU SRP undergraduate trainee Grace LeBlanc led hands-on activities that demonstrated how smoking harms the lungs and how fine particulate matter (PM) can enter the respiratory tract.

Left: Participants built air pollution molecules with LEGOs™. Right: Students also created structures inspired by our exploration of environmental health science topics.

We were truly amazed by the types of questions these hands-on activities generated and hope to work with Big Buddy again soon!

Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center (LSU SRP) gets “LOST” Trackin’ Toxins with Louisiana 4-H!

Trackin Toxins participants identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates they collected at Camp Grant Walker.

Members of the LSU SRP Research Translation Core (RTC) spent July 31 – August 3 at Louisiana Outdoor Science and Technology (LOST) Camp at Camp Grant Walker in Pollock, Louisiana.  LOST Camp is a special week of 4-H camp with a focus on science, engineering, and technology (SET) in addition to the more traditional camp tracks like Outdoor Adventures and Water Safety.  One of the goals behind offering these special sessions to 7^th and 8^th graders is to increase the number of students pursuing undergraduate degrees in SET areas.

Left: LSU SRP undergraduate trainee Grace LeBlanc helps Trackin Toxins participants add “mystery” compounds to their model systems. Right: Campers measure the dose response of the mystery compounds on yeast.

The LSU SRP RTC developed the “Trackin’ Toxins” activities to introduce participants to the different disciplines of science that are involved in studying and developing solutions to complex environmental health problems, such as the Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals (EPFRs) our Center studies.  The track activities also provide an engaging way for kids to learn about environmental issues and how to avoid personal exposure to some common environmental toxins.  Our track covered topics including biomagnification of toxins through food webs, exposure to heavy metals such as lead, toxicity testing and dose response curves, assessing air and water pollution through biologic indicators, and the chemistry and health effects of air pollution.  Instead of sitting in a classroom and reading about these topics, our LOST campers were immersed in hands-on science activities:  collecting aquatic macroinvertebrates, using yeast as a model system to test the toxicity of “mystery” compounds, searching for pollution sensitive lichens, and trying to avoid polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in a simulated food web game.

Left: LSU SRP undergraduate trainee Grace LeBlanc explaining the rules of the biomagnification game. Right: “Zooplankton” feeding on sediments contaminated with PCBs in the biomagnification game.

This is the second outreach activity that the LSU SRP has done in partnership with Louisiana 4-H this year.  One of the reasons Louisiana 4-H’s goal of exposing students to careers in SET is such a good fit with the LSU SRP RTC’s mission is that research at the LSU SRP truly reflects the interdisciplinary nature of environmental health science.    The LSU SRP brings together researchers from chemistry, pharmacology, environmental sciences, political science, and physics.  To learn about our research, our interdisciplinary team, and careers in environmental health science visit the LSU SRP website or click here.

Left: Trackin Toxins participants conducting a simulated blood lead test. Right: LSU SRP RTC coordinator Jen Irving explaining that certain types of lichens don’t like pollution.

Dr. Stephania Cormier Visits Harbin Medical University

Representatives from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Harbin Medical University gather to discuss research at the 1^st International Harbin Symposium and to formalize scientific cooperation on May 21, 2016. 

In May, Dr. Stephania Cormier, as part of a delegation from The University of Tennessee Heath Science Center (UTHSC), visited Harbin Medical University (HMU) in Heilongjiang province, China to discuss research and establish scientific and institutional collaborations.  Dr. Cormier is the Director of the Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center (LSU SRP) and the leader of Project 2:   Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals Alter Pulmonary Immunologic Homeostasis.   Dr. Cormier is also the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Global Partnerships, the Plough Foundation Chair of Excellence in Pediatrics, the Director of Pediatric Asthma Research Program, and a Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Infectious Disease, Microbiology, Immunology and Biochemistry at UTHSC.  Her research focuses on how exposures to environmental factors (i.e. allergens, pollutants, and respiratory viruses) during infancy to leads to predisposition, development of, or exacerbation of respiratory disease as adults.

Left:  (L-R) Dr. Weikuan Gu, Dr. Stephania Cormier, Dr. Steven Goodman, and Dr. Steven Youngentob outside of the Harbin Medical University library.  Right:  Drs. Youngentob, Cormier, and Goodman touring the new surgery suites at the Harbin University Cancer Hospital.

The UTHSC delegation also included Dr. Steven R. Goodman, Vice Chancellor for Research, Professor in the Advanced Practice and Doctoral Study Program, Professor in the Dental Research Center, Professor of Pediatrics, and Professor of Physiology; Dr.  Steven L. Youngentob, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research, Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, and Professor of Psychiatry; and Dr. Weikuan Gu, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences.  Researchers from the two institutions began planning in-depth cooperation in cardiopulmonary disease, epidemiology, bioinformatics, and cancer research.  Dr. Cormier discussed internships for trainees interested in studying the effects of combustion derived pollution on cardiopulmonary disease.

Left:  (L-R) Dr. Weikuan Gu, Dr. Stephania Cormier, Dr. Steven Goodman, and Dr. Steven Youngentob outside of the Harbin Medical University library.  Right:  Drs. Youngentob, Cormier, and Goodman touring the new surgery suites at the Harbin University Cancer Hospital.

Harbin Medical University is one of the top-ranked medical schools in China and has cooperative relations with over 40 colleges and universities in 12 countries regions (www.hrbmu.edu.cn).   Harbin is the largest city and the capital of Heilongjiang, a province in the northeastern part of China bordered by Russia.   It is also known as a top tourist city in China, mainly for its winter activities including the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival and alpine skiing.

The UTHSC delegation visiting Mike VI’s cousins at the Siberian Tiger Park near Harbin.  NOTE:  Mike VI, the current LSU mascot, is a Bengali-Siberian hybrid and is being treated for spindle cell sarcoma at Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  To learn more about Mike VI and his treatment click here.

LSU SRP Research Translation Core Hosts a 4-H University Clover College Track

2016 Clover College “Trackin’ Toxins” participants with LSU SRP RTC Leader Dr. Maud Walsh (front row, left), LSU SRP RTC Coordinator Jen Irving (front row, center) and LSU SRP Undergraduate Trainee Grace LeBlanc (front row, right).

 The Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center (LSUSRP) Research Translation Core (RTC) had a great time hosting a Clover College track during the LSU AgCenter 4-H University, held June 21-24, 2016 on LSU’s campus.  4-H University is an annual event where 4-H members compete in contests, explore careers, and discover new interests.  This year’s 4-H University involved more than 1,600 4-H’ers, 100 AgCenter agents and staff, and 150 volunteers.  Clover College is a hands-on learning experience developed for youth that want to participate in 4-H University but don’t want to compete in the contests.

Lichens don’t like air pollution! 2016 Clover College “Trackin’ Toxins” participants survey lichen communities around the LSU campus.

This year 225 Clover College participants explored tracks on topics such as health professions, fashion, fitness, and environmental science.  The LSU SRP RTC developed and conducted a session entitled “Trackin’ Toxins” where participants could learn how Environmental Health Scientists measure and track pollution in the environment.  Some of the activities in the track included using lichens as biomonitors for outdoor air pollution, learning about sources of indoor pollution, conducting a simulated blood lead test, and identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates.

Left: LSU SRP Undergraduate Trainee Grace LeBlanc helps with a simulated blood lead test.    Right: LSU SRP RTC Coordinator Jen Irving shows participants how to build the reactants (propane and oxygen gas) and products (water and carbon dioxide) of the combustion reaction with LEGOs™.

Research at the LSU SRP focuses on newly-identified pollutant-particle systems called environmentally persistent free radicals, or EPFRs, that are formed by reactions between transition metals and organic material during combustion and thermal processes  The LSU SRP RTC developed the “Trackin’ Toxins” activities to introduce participants to the different disciplines of science that are involved in studying and developing solutions to complex environmental health problems, such as the EPFRs our center studies.  We also wanted participants to understand the basics of air pollution and how they can protect themselves from toxins in our environment.   When asked what the participants would do with the information they learned in their track, one of ours responded “use it to educate other people on the harms of pollution and how to avoid lead exposure.”  We couldn’t have asked for anything more!

2016 Clover College “Trackin’ Toxins” participants identify aquatic macroinvertebrate samples from the LSU lakes.

LSU SRP Research Translation Core Engages with Project E-STEAM

Students from Project E-STEAM Summer Camp 2016 visited LSU to conduct hands-on science activities focused on Louisiana environmental issues.

On June 24^th, K-5^th grade students and teachers from the Project E-STEAM Summer Camp 2016 filled classrooms in Sturgis Hall on the Louisiana State University campus with excitement and energy.  Project E-STEAM is coordinated by Angee Burd, a curriculum resource teacher at Baton Rouge Charter Academy at Mid City.  The goals of the E-STEAM program are to engage local minority students with STEAM education through environmental stewardship and advocacy based on local issues that impact their future and the future of their loved ones.  During the four week summer program students are exploring Louisiana environmental issues including Hurricane Katrina, Bayou Corne Sinkhole, Deep Water Horizon spill and the Intracoastal Waterway Project.  With each topic they use the engineering design process and the foundational tenets of 21st century learning (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity/innovation) to discuss and develop solutions.

LEFT:  LSU RTC coordinator Jen Irving helps Project E-STEAM students evaluate oil spill cleanup techniques.  RIGHT:  Project E-STEAM students measure the amount of “oil” they were able to “skim” from their model oil spills.

The goals and topics of Project E-STEAM are a natural fit with the Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center (LSU SRP) so the Research Translation Core (RTC) was delighted to develop a field trip for the group.  Research at the LSU SRP focuses on newly-identified pollutant-particle systems, including environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) that form from the combination of pollutants and particulate matter (PM), and their effect on respiratory and cardiac health. LSU SRP researchers have identified EPFRs in PM from combustion of electronic wastes, in situ burning of oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill, and even in electronic cigarette vapor.  The LSU SRP RTC is responsible for communicating the center’s research findings to a variety of audiences, including the general public.  One of the ways we do this is to form linkages to science teacher professional education and K-12 environmental education programs.

LEFT:  LSU SRP undergraduate trainee Grace LeBlanc helps Project E-STEAM students use LEGOs™ to build nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂) gas “molecules” from nitrogen and oxygen “atoms.”  RIGHT:  After mastering basic air chemistry, E-STEAM students build the reactants (propane and oxygen gas) and products (water and carbon dioxide) of the combustion reaction.

The Project E-STEAM field trip involved using the engineering process and hands-on science to evaluate the best response to an oil spill.  After learning about some of the techniques used to clean up oil spills, the students used everyday objects like straws (containment booms), spoons (skimmers), cotton pads (adsorbents), and dish soap (dispersants) to test different spill responses to a model oil spill.  LSU SRP RTC leader, Dr. Maud Walsh discussed how in situ burning of oil, as well as other combustion processes such as incineration of hazardous wastes can lead to air pollution and the creation of EPFRs.  The students then used LEGOs™ to learn about the chemistry of air and air pollution and the chemical reaction behind combustion.

 

 

 

 

Dr. Slawo Lomnicki Receives LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award

(L-R) LSU President F. King Alexander, LSU Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences Slawo Lomnicki, LSU Executive Vice President & Provost Richard J. Koubek and LSU Alumni Association President & CEO at the LSU Distinguished Faculty Awards Presentation held May 4, 2016 at the Lod Cook Alumni Center in Baton Rouge, LA.

Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences Dr. Slawo Lomnicki is the recipient of a LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award.  Dr. Lomnicki is the LSU SRP Materials Core Director and also leads Project 1:  Formation and Reactions of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals in Thermal Processing of Superfund Wastes.  The LSU Alumni Association Rising Faculty Research Award recognizes faculty at the rank of assistant professor who have outstanding records of scholarship and published research.  Dr. Lomnicki and the other 2016 Distinguished Faculty were honored at an awards ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the Lod Cook Alumni Center.  To learn more about the event click here.  Please join the LSU SRP team in congratulating Dr. Lomnicki!

LSU SRP Supports the 2016 Louisiana Envirothon

LSU SRP Research Translation Core Leader Maud Walsh (right) and LSU SRP Research Translation Coordinator Jen Irving (left) prepare for the 2016 Louisiana Envirothon at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens.

On April 16th members of the Louisiana State University Superfund Research Center (LSU SRP) participated in the 2016 Louisiana Envirothon at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at the Burden Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  The Louisiana Envirothon is an environmental problem solving competition for teams of students in 6th through 12th grades.  The competition consists of an oral section where the teams present a solution to an environmental problem and tests in five subject areas: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife and a current issue on invasive species.

Envirothon “buddies” receive instructions prior to meeting their teams. LSU SRP undergraduate trainee Grace LeBlanc and Research Translation Coordinator Jen Irving both served as “buddies” at the 2016 Louisiana Envirothon.

The Envirothon is a unique and fun event where students can practice critical thinking, cooperative problem solving, and decision making skills while learning how to apply resource management and ecological concepts to complex environmental issues.  During the competition teams are not allowed to have contact with their advisors and are escorted through the testing stations by impartial “buddies” that are assigned the day of the event.

2016 Louisiana Envirothon buddies.

The Envirothon is made possible through the support of major sponsors, patrons, supporters, and partners throughout the state.  The LSU SRP is a proud partner of the Louisiana Envirothon and Dr. Maud Walsh (LSU SRP Research Translation Core Leader) has served as one of the judges for the oral competition for several years.  She also encourages students attending classes in the LSU School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences (SPESS) to volunteer at the event.  To learn more about the Louisiana Envirothon click here.