Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment

Today is a huge day for our team! Dr. Kimberly Prather, our director, has been awarded the 2024 NAS Award in Chemical Sciences. The award is presented annually to honor innovative research in the chemical sciences that contributes to a better understanding of the natural sciences and to the benefit of humanity. She is being recognized as her research "has revolutionized our understanding of atmospheric aerosols and their impact on air quality, climate, and human health." Congratulations, Kim!

The remarkable Scrippshenge took place last night! Photographers flock here twice a year to witness the sunset perfectly aligning with Scripps Pier.🌅

If you're interested in our research about sea spray aerosol and water pollution from the Tijuana River, you can find the recently published article at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02312

Castle Park High School students were also at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering talking to children and their parents about their biodiesel and algal studies group and making fun experiments!

Clouds in a bottle were a success at Petco Park! The CAICE team was at the San Diego Festival of Science & Engineering with a kid-powered wave flume, optical particle counters and fun hands-on science experiments. Great day!

Scripps Institution of Oceanography - UC San Diego - National Science Foundation (NSF)

“There is a huge health impact and people need to be aware of this due to human pollution,” said Sandstron. “Viruses are very hard to detect and that’s the main thing we’re trying to work on and here we’re looking for viruses in particular and we’re trying to develop techniques to collect viruses that might be airborne.”

Researchers find link between sewage from Mexico and bacteria in the air in California “The big takeaway from that study is that contaminants from the sewage are getting into the air,” said Greg Sandstron, a UCSD researcher.

Our team has been sampling air and water from Imperial Beach to investigate the health impacts of coastal water pollution, and we had a special guest last month: Carl Zimmer, science writer and New York Times columnist, who is interested in our investigation of pathogens and chemicals found in the water and in the air we breathe.

On February 19th, the students presented posters of projects they had developed at our annual CLEAR symposium - and we had a lot of fun! The CLEAR Program is designed to bring the research and science of CAICE to the public.

CLEAR is an educational initiative designed to engage high school and community college students in learning about the chemistry of aerosols, climate, and the environment by encouraging collaboration and experimentation. Find more about the program at http://caice.ucsd.edu/clear-program/

UC San Diego Receives $15M Cryptocurrency Donation, Largest for Research on Airborne Pathogens UC San Diego has received a $15M cryptocurrency gift, directed by Vitalik Buterin, to establish the Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate.

The Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate is an interdisciplinary team of scientists determined to both understand the impact of climate change on the air we breathe and to develop implementable solutions to improve indoor and outdoor air quality globally.

UC San Diego

UC San Diego Receives $15M Cryptocurrency Donation, Largest for Research on Airborne Pathogens UC San Diego has received a $15M cryptocurrency gift, directed by Vitalik Buterin, to establish the Meta-Institute for Airborne Disease in a Changing Climate.

Coastal Water Pollution Transfers to the Air in Sea Spray Aerosol and Reaches People on Land New research led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego has confirmed that coastal water pollution transfers to the atmosphere in sea spray aerosol, which can reach people beyond just beachgoers, surfers, and swimmers.

Application deadline EXTENDED to February 18th! Please share with anyone interested in doing research with CAICE this summer!

Calling All Chemistry Undergrads: Join CAICE researchers for Summer 2023! This is your opportunity to do innovative research, meet awesome people, and learn so so much by becoming a part of the CAICE team. Learn more and apply here: https://caice.ucsd.edu/summer-undergraduate-research/

“Human Habitat Experience: Critical Role of Engineers in Science Communication During the Covid Pandemic”

Kimberly Prather, Distinguished Professor; Distinguished Chair in Atmospheric Chemistry at UC San Diego, discusses "The Critical Role of Engineers in Science Communication During the Covid Pandemic" and how it relates to the human habitat experience.

Tuesday, January 31, 2023
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. ET
Register here: https://umich.zoom.us/webinar/register/2116746142734/WN_CcFhhdSMStKw0S0T3A2ZIw #/registration

This presentation will discuss science communication efforts over the past three years by engineers and aerosol scientists in communicating to the world that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is airborne. This represented a paradigm shift in the overall understanding of disease transmission from droplets and surfaces (aka “droplet dogma”) to aerosol or airborne transmission. It required a major concerted effort between engineers, scientists, members of the public, and enlightened members in the medical field.

This presentation will discuss coordinated efforts by scientists and engineers largely through social media. Highlights will be given of all methods used to induce this change including letters to the White House, Editorials, publications in top journals including Science and The Lancet, meetings with CDC officials and Dr. Fauci, as well as testifying for OSHA and congressional hearings. Finally, a discussion of the raised awareness and efforts now focusing on the need to clean indoor air will be discussed, including efforts being implemented in schools, homes, and businesses. A summary of lessons learned from these experiences and how they will benefit research going forward will be provided.

A panel discussion will follow the lecture. Our distinguished panelists include: Jim Rosenthal, Chairman & CEO, Air Relief Technologies, Inc. and Dustin Poppendieck, Environmental Engineer in the Indoor Air Quality and Ventilation Group of the Energy and Environment Division (EED) of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

A recent publication from CAICE discussing how sea spray aerosol aging makes significant changes to morphology, composition, phase state, and water uptake properties impacting their influence on the .

Effects of Atmospheric Aging Processes on Nascent Sea Spray Aerosol Physicochemical Properties The effects of atmospheric aging on single-particle nascent sea spray aerosol (nSSA) physicochemical properties, such as morphology, composition, phase state, and water uptake, are important to understanding their impacts on the Earth’s climate. The present study investigates these properties by f...

Calling All Chemistry Undergrads: Join CAICE researchers for Summer 2023! This is your opportunity to do innovative research, meet awesome people, and learn so so much by becoming a part of the CAICE team. Learn more and apply here: https://caice.ucsd.edu/summer-undergraduate-research/

The Chaos of Sea Spray Aerosols Aerosols, which have gained a renewed focus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are solid or liquid particles suspended in air. They can include viruses, bacteria, salt, dust, fungi, and chemical pollutants. While aerosols are all around us, they are extremely difficult to isolate and study.

Reminiscing about the amazing time we had working on SOARS at with such incredible undergraduate researchers this summer. Coris boxes, outreach, lab work, high ropes course, poster presentations and so much more. Thankful for the awesome people & science in CAICE!

Are you a high school or community college student/teacher interested in air quality? Join us for this year's CLEAR program to work with CAICE grad students and complete your own research project! Learn more & sign up here https://caice.ucsd.edu/clear-program/

"I realized that by studying chemistry I will be able to help keep the world healthy for many others after me to enjoy it as well..."

Read more about CAICE undergrad Mauricio's summer project: https://caice.ucsd.edu/looking-to-m-dom-as-a-trap-for-greenhouse-gases/

"Now studying the ocean sounded great in theory, but when it came to actually pursuing it I really had no idea how to get there or what an oceanographer even did..."

Read more about CAICE undergrad Claire's outreach project: https://caice.ucsd.edu/moving-from-the-deep-sea-to-the-marine-boundary-layer/

"When I found out I was expecting a child, I resolved to become a healthy person, and that endeavor led me back to school! I am driven to learn how I can help keep the planet around for my daughter..."

Read more about CAICE undergrad Elizabeth's project: https://caice.ucsd.edu/finding-an-affinity-for-chemistry/

"Chemistry is the physical poetry of interactions... it is emotional to make the connection as to why a paper towel can have water travel up it or why a giant synthetic wave pool can assist in the remediation of climate change."

More from undergrad Julia: https://caice.ucsd.edu/life-research-and-delicious-ambiguity/

And we're off! First sampling day of the CHAOS summer campaign!! Recreating the ocean-atmosphere with both wind and waves in the lab!

Hello everyone! My name is Mauricio, I am an undergrad chemistry student at UT Austin. I’ve always wanted to do research in atmospheric chemistry and alongside other people that want to as well makes it even more exciting so I can’t wait. In my spare time I like to play basketball, listen to podcasts, and walk around the city.