Dr. Jiajue Chai

NSF Funds ESF Research Focused on Improving Air Quality in Major Metro Areas

12/11/2023

SYRACUSE, NY – Dec. 11, 2023 – Dr. Jiajue Chai at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) received two National Science Foundation grants totaling nearly $700,000 to advance research on improving air quality in large cities. Chai, an assistant professor in ESF’s Department of Chemistry, studies how atmospheric compositions influence air quality, ecosystem health, and climate change.

“Dr. Chai’s research is important to understanding how air pollution contributes to climate change and ultimately impacts human and ecosystem health, particularly in densely populated cities,” said John Stella, Vice President of Research at ESF. “We are proud of his dedication to a topic that impacts millions of people.”

In one project, Chai is researching tiny but extremely important details of chemicals in the air that come from both human-made and natural sources. It aims to produce data that can be used to develop strategies to mitigate ozone and air pollution in the New York City metropolitan region. Research began in July 2023, with Chai and ESF graduate students Max Horsford and Lin Wu participating in a two-month intensive field campaign with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in collaboration with atmospheric scientists from NOAA, NASA, Yale University, Brown University, University of Michigan, University of Texas Austin, and Georgia Institute of Technology. NSF awarded $200,000 toward continued research.

Chai’s second project investigates the significant secondary air pollutant peroxyacetyl nitrate to better understand its presence in the atmosphere, its sources, and its impact on air quality and climate. The research team is looking to develop a method to fingerprint the pollutant so it can be identified from different sources and chemical pathways. The goal is to better understand its impact on the atmosphere and create improved techniques that can be readily applied to future environmental studies. Chai leads a team of researchers from ESF, Brown University, and Colorado State University. NSF awarded nearly $500,000 toward continued research.

Chai sees his research as an opportunity to educate future scientists and spark youth’s interest in science.

“Both projects support postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate student researchers to help build their core skills in analytical and environmental chemistry,” said Chai. “Results from the research will be incorporated into several environmental science courses across the three universities, as well as K-8 education in local communities. This allows for educating the next generation of environmental scientists.”

About SUNY ESF

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.