This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

This week people all around the world came together to celebrate Earth Day, but it was business-as-usual here at EPA. Our researchers work year-round to protect human health and the environment and make Earth Day every day.

Dr. Tom Burke, Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, highlighted some examples of this important work in the blog Linking Up: Making Every Day Earth Day.

And here is some more research we’ve highlighted this week.

• Surrounded by Science
  This week was National Environmental Education Week, the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education. Environmental education helps increase students’ awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems. This year’s Environmental Education Week theme is looking at how science can help us better understand the natural world.
  Read more about how to get involved in the blog National Environmental Education Week.

• Measuring Local Air Quality
  The Village Green Project explores new ways of measuring air pollution using next generation air quality technology that has been built into a park bench. After testing the first Village Green station in Durham, N.C., we are now in the process of building and installing new stations with some design improvements and modifications.
  Read more about the project in the blog Expanding the Village Green Project to Measure Local Air Quality.

• Next week is Air Quality Awareness Week!
  EPA supported research at the Clean Air Research Center at Harvard University explores the health effects of air pollution mixtures across organ systems and during various stages of human life. Recently, the center published a study in the journal Stroke that looked at what may happen to the brain of older adults after long-term exposure to fine particle pollution.
  Read more about the study in the blog Air Pollution and Your Brain.

Our blog will be offline next week while we update and reorganize. Check back in May 4th!

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1DljMG2

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

This week people all around the world came together to celebrate Earth Day, but it was business-as-usual here at EPA. Our researchers work year-round to protect human health and the environment and make Earth Day every day.

Dr. Tom Burke, Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, highlighted some examples of this important work in the blog Linking Up: Making Every Day Earth Day.

And here is some more research we’ve highlighted this week.

• Surrounded by Science
  This week was National Environmental Education Week, the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education. Environmental education helps increase students’ awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems. This year’s Environmental Education Week theme is looking at how science can help us better understand the natural world.
  Read more about how to get involved in the blog National Environmental Education Week.

• Measuring Local Air Quality
  The Village Green Project explores new ways of measuring air pollution using next generation air quality technology that has been built into a park bench. After testing the first Village Green station in Durham, N.C., we are now in the process of building and installing new stations with some design improvements and modifications.
  Read more about the project in the blog Expanding the Village Green Project to Measure Local Air Quality.

• Next week is Air Quality Awareness Week!
  EPA supported research at the Clean Air Research Center at Harvard University explores the health effects of air pollution mixtures across organ systems and during various stages of human life. Recently, the center published a study in the journal Stroke that looked at what may happen to the brain of older adults after long-term exposure to fine particle pollution.
  Read more about the study in the blog Air Pollution and Your Brain.

Our blog will be offline next week while we update and reorganize. Check back in May 4th!

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1DljMG2

Air Pollution and Your Brain

By Michelle Becker

Next week is Air Quality Awareness week, which is a time to reflect on how far we have come in our understanding of the health effects of air pollution. We know air quality can affect the lungs and heart and cause serious health problems, as documented in a large body of scientific literature. However, we don’t know very much about the potential effects on the brain.

That is why EPA supports research through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program to further examine potential health effects of air pollution. The Clean Air Research Center (CLARC) at Harvard University receives funds from EPA to explore the health effects of air pollution mixtures across organ systems and during various stages of human life.

Recently, the center published a study in the journal Stroke that looked at what may happen to the brain of older adults after long-term exposure to fine particle pollution (PM_2.5), which is emitted from tail pipe emissions as well as other sources. The study included 943 individuals over the age of 60 with no history of dementia or stroke. They also lived within 1,000 meters (0.62 miles) of a major roadway where levels of air pollutants are generally higher.

Researchers looked at pictures of the brain using a technique called Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to identify the differences in certain brain structures. Then they considered the pictures in connection with the distance participants lived from a major road.

After considering all the data and a number of other factors that might affect the brain, the researchers found that exposure to outdoor PM_2.5 was associated with a decrease in total cerebral brain volume and an increase in covert brain infarcts (known as “silent” strokes because there are no outward symptoms).  The impact of being close to roadways was less clear.

So what are the potential implications? A decrease in cerebral brain volume is an indicator of degeneration of the brain, which can lead to dementia and other cognitive impairments. Also, an increase in covert brain infarcts increases a person’s risk for a major stroke.

To give you a better idea about PM_2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 microns in diameter) the average human hair has a diameter of 100 microns. So these air pollutant mixtures are roughly one quarter the diameter of a single hair on your head. That is to say, very small. Yet these small particles pack a big punch when it comes to our health. The study demonstrates an increase of just 2 micrograms per cubic meter can cause brain deterioration.

This study is one of the first to look at the relationship between air pollution and the brain so the evidence is suggestive. The study contributes to a growing body of scientific research that is exploring the cognitive connections to air pollution. So this week while we think about air quality, let’s remember that small things can make a big impact and that science can help us to learn more about air quality and our health.

About the Author: Michelle Becker, M.S, is currently working with the Air, Climate, and Energy research program in EPA’s Office of Research and Development through a Skills Marketplace opportunity. The project has allowed her to increase her scientific communication skills and to learn more about EPA funded research to protect human health.

from Science http://ift.tt/1d9gWiC

By Michelle Becker

Next week is Air Quality Awareness week, which is a time to reflect on how far we have come in our understanding of the health effects of air pollution. We know air quality can affect the lungs and heart and cause serious health problems, as documented in a large body of scientific literature. However, we don’t know very much about the potential effects on the brain.

That is why EPA supports research through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program to further examine potential health effects of air pollution. The Clean Air Research Center (CLARC) at Harvard University receives funds from EPA to explore the health effects of air pollution mixtures across organ systems and during various stages of human life.

Recently, the center published a study in the journal Stroke that looked at what may happen to the brain of older adults after long-term exposure to fine particle pollution (PM_2.5), which is emitted from tail pipe emissions as well as other sources. The study included 943 individuals over the age of 60 with no history of dementia or stroke. They also lived within 1,000 meters (0.62 miles) of a major roadway where levels of air pollutants are generally higher.

Researchers looked at pictures of the brain using a technique called Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to identify the differences in certain brain structures. Then they considered the pictures in connection with the distance participants lived from a major road.

After considering all the data and a number of other factors that might affect the brain, the researchers found that exposure to outdoor PM_2.5 was associated with a decrease in total cerebral brain volume and an increase in covert brain infarcts (known as “silent” strokes because there are no outward symptoms).  The impact of being close to roadways was less clear.

So what are the potential implications? A decrease in cerebral brain volume is an indicator of degeneration of the brain, which can lead to dementia and other cognitive impairments. Also, an increase in covert brain infarcts increases a person’s risk for a major stroke.

To give you a better idea about PM_2.5 (particulate matter of 2.5 microns in diameter) the average human hair has a diameter of 100 microns. So these air pollutant mixtures are roughly one quarter the diameter of a single hair on your head. That is to say, very small. Yet these small particles pack a big punch when it comes to our health. The study demonstrates an increase of just 2 micrograms per cubic meter can cause brain deterioration.

This study is one of the first to look at the relationship between air pollution and the brain so the evidence is suggestive. The study contributes to a growing body of scientific research that is exploring the cognitive connections to air pollution. So this week while we think about air quality, let’s remember that small things can make a big impact and that science can help us to learn more about air quality and our health.

About the Author: Michelle Becker, M.S, is currently working with the Air, Climate, and Energy research program in EPA’s Office of Research and Development through a Skills Marketplace opportunity. The project has allowed her to increase her scientific communication skills and to learn more about EPA funded research to protect human health.

from Science http://ift.tt/1d9gWiC

National Environmental Education Week

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

I can remember the first time I connected my classroom science lesson to real life. I had baked a cake from scratch all by myself and the smell of chocolate filled the air as I eagerly awaited the ding of the kitchen timer. However upon opening the oven door, I discovered the cake had not risen at all. I held up a picture of what the cake was supposed to look like and exclaimed that this was totally unfair. Then my mom pointed to the forgotten ingredient: baking soda. It wasn’t unfair, it was chemistry!

Science helps explain things that seem like such a mystery at first. That’s why I really like this year’s theme for National Environmental Education Week — Surrounded by Science.

National Environmental Education Week is the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education. It is held each spring around the time of Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. Environmental education helps increase students’ awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems. In doing so, it provides them with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsible action.

This year’s Environmental Education Week theme is looking at how science can help us better understand the natural world. We use science at EPA to do just that — it provides the foundation for decisions and actions taken to protect our environment and our health.

Through the scientific process, we observe, test, analyze and advance our knowledge of the world. Through environmental education, we can bring learning to life and show how environmental science is a part of our daily lives.

Environmental education is very important to us at EPA. Through our grants program, we award up to $3.5 million each year to school districts, local governments, universities, tribal education programs and other partners to support projects promoting awareness, stewardship and skill building.

So whether you are supporting the climate leaders of the future or the inventor of the next cronut, there are plenty of ways to celebrate environmental education and science this week:

• Join a national network of educators dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of K-12 students by registering for National Environmental Education Week here (it’s free!).
• Check out these hands-on activities for teachers and others to use in the classroom and other educational settings that EPA researchers have developed
• Ask an EPA scientist about environmental science and see it featured on our blog. Email your question to AskanEPAscientist@epa.gov and I’ll find an answer for you!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1Qo8I5a

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

I can remember the first time I connected my classroom science lesson to real life. I had baked a cake from scratch all by myself and the smell of chocolate filled the air as I eagerly awaited the ding of the kitchen timer. However upon opening the oven door, I discovered the cake had not risen at all. I held up a picture of what the cake was supposed to look like and exclaimed that this was totally unfair. Then my mom pointed to the forgotten ingredient: baking soda. It wasn’t unfair, it was chemistry!

Science helps explain things that seem like such a mystery at first. That’s why I really like this year’s theme for National Environmental Education Week — Surrounded by Science.

National Environmental Education Week is the nation’s largest celebration of environmental education. It is held each spring around the time of Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. Environmental education helps increase students’ awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems. In doing so, it provides them with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsible action.

This year’s Environmental Education Week theme is looking at how science can help us better understand the natural world. We use science at EPA to do just that — it provides the foundation for decisions and actions taken to protect our environment and our health.

Through the scientific process, we observe, test, analyze and advance our knowledge of the world. Through environmental education, we can bring learning to life and show how environmental science is a part of our daily lives.

Environmental education is very important to us at EPA. Through our grants program, we award up to $3.5 million each year to school districts, local governments, universities, tribal education programs and other partners to support projects promoting awareness, stewardship and skill building.

So whether you are supporting the climate leaders of the future or the inventor of the next cronut, there are plenty of ways to celebrate environmental education and science this week:

• Join a national network of educators dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of K-12 students by registering for National Environmental Education Week here (it’s free!).
• Check out these hands-on activities for teachers and others to use in the classroom and other educational settings that EPA researchers have developed
• Ask an EPA scientist about environmental science and see it featured on our blog. Email your question to AskanEPAscientist@epa.gov and I’ll find an answer for you!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1Qo8I5a

Linking Up: Making Every Day Earth Day

By Tom Burke, Ph.D.

Today marks my first Earth Day as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. This is the one day of the year when people around the world unite to celebrate our planet, and I’m thrilled to be at a place where strengthening the links between a healthy environment and healthy communities are at the forefront of everything we do.

Eagle parents tend to their eaglets.

I began my day today checking in on the month-old eaglets up near Codorus State Park in Pennsylvania. The chicks are flourishing and provide a wonderful metaphor for the remarkable progress that has been made since the first Earth Day 45 years ago. What started as a collective unease about the state of local waterways, polluted lands, and haze-obscured views across urban neighborhoods was soon amplified in screaming national headlines about rivers on fire, and Rachel Carson’s best-selling book Silent Spring outlining the dangers of the indiscriminant use of the chemical pesticide DDT.

Such events helped spark the realization that when it comes to our environment, we are all in this together. And it was science—much of it led or conducted by EPA researchers—that taught us how to turn environmental concerns into action.

By understanding how particulate matter and other pollutants in the air relate to asthma rates and longevity, between lead exposure and childhood development, and between disease and contaminated water, local public health officials know what steps they can take to better protect people.

That track record for responsive science is why EPA labs are always among the first called when environmental emergencies strike, such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or when harmful algal blooms threatened Toledo’s drinking water supply. EPA expertise is counted on to help local officials identify hazards, know what tests to conduct, and when to issue or lift health advisories.

And what’s more, that same expertise is also driving innovative research that is not only helping communities become more resilient today, but developing the tools, models, and solutions to lower risks and advance sustainability for the future. Just a small sampling of examples include:

• Our researchers have teamed up with colleagues at NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey to develop ways to tap satellite data to monitor water quality and better predict harmful algal blooms.
• Empowering scientists and communities alike to tap a new generation of small, inexpensive, and portable air sensors to track air quality through The Village Green Project and others.
• Our Healthy Heart campaign helps cardiac healthcare professionals use existing and emerging research to educate their patients about the link between air quality and their health—and to take action to avoid exposures during “ozone alert” days.
• Advancing sophisticated computational toxicology methods and technologies through partnerships such as Tox21 to usher in a new paradigm of faster and far less expensive chemical screening techniques.
• Providing data and mapping tools such as EPA’s EnviroAtlas that help community planners and other citizens identify, quantify, and sustain the many benefits they get from the natural ecosystems that surround them.

I started my own career conducting environmental investigations and epidemiological studies, and working closely with county and city health officials. These officials are on the front lines of environmental health and our communities depend upon them. Providing support by linking them to the data, tools, and innovative solutions mentioned above is one of my top priorities as EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for our Office of Research and Development.

That will take a continued commitment to communications and translation of our science to action, all part of keeping the critical link between a healthy environment and healthy people at the forefront of our thinking. Sharing our work with public health professionals is one way we can work together to make every day Earth Day. And that’s something we can all celebrate.

EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator Tom Burke

 

About the Author: Thomas Burke, Ph.D. is the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development as well as EPA’s Science Advisor. Prior to coming to EPA, he served as the Jacob I. and Irene B. Fabrikant Professor and Chair in Health, Risk and Society and the Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

from Science http://ift.tt/1yPJW8z

By Tom Burke, Ph.D.

Today marks my first Earth Day as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. This is the one day of the year when people around the world unite to celebrate our planet, and I’m thrilled to be at a place where strengthening the links between a healthy environment and healthy communities are at the forefront of everything we do.

Eagle parents tend to their eaglets.

I began my day today checking in on the month-old eaglets up near Codorus State Park in Pennsylvania. The chicks are flourishing and provide a wonderful metaphor for the remarkable progress that has been made since the first Earth Day 45 years ago. What started as a collective unease about the state of local waterways, polluted lands, and haze-obscured views across urban neighborhoods was soon amplified in screaming national headlines about rivers on fire, and Rachel Carson’s best-selling book Silent Spring outlining the dangers of the indiscriminant use of the chemical pesticide DDT.

Such events helped spark the realization that when it comes to our environment, we are all in this together. And it was science—much of it led or conducted by EPA researchers—that taught us how to turn environmental concerns into action.

By understanding how particulate matter and other pollutants in the air relate to asthma rates and longevity, between lead exposure and childhood development, and between disease and contaminated water, local public health officials know what steps they can take to better protect people.

That track record for responsive science is why EPA labs are always among the first called when environmental emergencies strike, such as the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico or when harmful algal blooms threatened Toledo’s drinking water supply. EPA expertise is counted on to help local officials identify hazards, know what tests to conduct, and when to issue or lift health advisories.

And what’s more, that same expertise is also driving innovative research that is not only helping communities become more resilient today, but developing the tools, models, and solutions to lower risks and advance sustainability for the future. Just a small sampling of examples include:

• Our researchers have teamed up with colleagues at NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey to develop ways to tap satellite data to monitor water quality and better predict harmful algal blooms.
• Empowering scientists and communities alike to tap a new generation of small, inexpensive, and portable air sensors to track air quality through The Village Green Project and others.
• Our Healthy Heart campaign helps cardiac healthcare professionals use existing and emerging research to educate their patients about the link between air quality and their health—and to take action to avoid exposures during “ozone alert” days.
• Advancing sophisticated computational toxicology methods and technologies through partnerships such as Tox21 to usher in a new paradigm of faster and far less expensive chemical screening techniques.
• Providing data and mapping tools such as EPA’s EnviroAtlas that help community planners and other citizens identify, quantify, and sustain the many benefits they get from the natural ecosystems that surround them.

I started my own career conducting environmental investigations and epidemiological studies, and working closely with county and city health officials. These officials are on the front lines of environmental health and our communities depend upon them. Providing support by linking them to the data, tools, and innovative solutions mentioned above is one of my top priorities as EPA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for our Office of Research and Development.

That will take a continued commitment to communications and translation of our science to action, all part of keeping the critical link between a healthy environment and healthy people at the forefront of our thinking. Sharing our work with public health professionals is one way we can work together to make every day Earth Day. And that’s something we can all celebrate.

EPA Deputy Assistant Administrator Tom Burke

 

About the Author: Thomas Burke, Ph.D. is the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development as well as EPA’s Science Advisor. Prior to coming to EPA, he served as the Jacob I. and Irene B. Fabrikant Professor and Chair in Health, Risk and Society and the Associate Dean for Public Health Practice and Training at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

 

from Science http://ift.tt/1yPJW8z

Expanding the Village Green Project to Measure Local Air Quality

By Esteban Herrera, Gayle Hagler and John White

Village Green Station in Philadelphia, PA

We have been busy for a few years with the Village Green Project, exploring new ways of measuring air pollution using next generation air quality technology put into a park bench.  After testing our first Village Green station in Durham, N.C., we are now in the process of building and installing new stations with some design improvements and modifications.

The Village Green Project expansion is being made possible with the support of state and local partners across the country. Five new locations for stations have been selected through a nationwide proposal process open to local and state air monitoring agencies.

Today, EPA announced the partners and location for the new stations and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Philadelphia, Pa. for one of the five stations.

The Village Green Project has many benefits. It enables EPA’s scientists to further test their new measurement system, built into a park bench, and it provides an opportunity for the public and students to learn more about the technology and local air quality.

Each station provides data every minute on two common air pollutants – fine particle pollution and ozone – and weather conditions such as wind speed and direction, temperature, and relative humidity.  The data are automatically streamed to the Village Green Project web page. You can access the data generated by stations as they come on line at http://ift.tt/1yMvbDj. As members of a team working on the Village Green Project at EPA, we have been doing a lot of coordination and tackled some difficult scientific challenges to get this project launched. But it is all coming together as we get the stations installed. We think it will be a great opportunity for educational outreach and to showcase some new capabilities for communities to learn more about their local air quality. These monitoring stations will enable communities to get information about nearby sources of air pollution that can impact local air quality.

Washington, DC

The five station locations being installed in 2015 as part of the local and state partnership are:

• Philadelphia, Pa. – the station is located in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia owned by the National Park Service.
• Washington, D.C. – the station is located in a children’s area at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
• Kansas City, Kan.- the station is located outside of the new South Branch public library in Kansas City.
• Hartford, Conn. – the station will be located outside of the Connecticut Science Center and will be installed in the summer or early fall of 2015.
• Oklahoma City, Okla. – the station will be located in the children’s garden of the Myriad Botanical Gardens and will be installed in the summer or early fall of 2015.
  

Kansas City, KS

So what is next? We are excited about the expansion of the Village Green Project and hope to learn how some of the new system features perform, such as a combined wind and solar power system we’re using for more northern locations.  We hope the project will provide more knowledge about how to build and operate next generation air quality measurement systems for use by communities.  Please stay tuned for more updates from the Village Green Project team members as we continue our learning journey.

 

About the Authors: Esteban Herrera is an environmental engineer and project lead for the Village Green Project. Gayle Hagler is an environmental engineer who studies air pollutant emissions and measurement technologies. John White is leading the effort of expanding AirNow’s capabilities to handle one-minute data, including data from the Village Green stations.

from Science http://ift.tt/1zHmuFM

By Esteban Herrera, Gayle Hagler and John White

Village Green Station in Philadelphia, PA

We have been busy for a few years with the Village Green Project, exploring new ways of measuring air pollution using next generation air quality technology put into a park bench.  After testing our first Village Green station in Durham, N.C., we are now in the process of building and installing new stations with some design improvements and modifications.

The Village Green Project expansion is being made possible with the support of state and local partners across the country. Five new locations for stations have been selected through a nationwide proposal process open to local and state air monitoring agencies.

Today, EPA announced the partners and location for the new stations and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Philadelphia, Pa. for one of the five stations.

The Village Green Project has many benefits. It enables EPA’s scientists to further test their new measurement system, built into a park bench, and it provides an opportunity for the public and students to learn more about the technology and local air quality.

Each station provides data every minute on two common air pollutants – fine particle pollution and ozone – and weather conditions such as wind speed and direction, temperature, and relative humidity.  The data are automatically streamed to the Village Green Project web page. You can access the data generated by stations as they come on line at http://ift.tt/1yMvbDj. As members of a team working on the Village Green Project at EPA, we have been doing a lot of coordination and tackled some difficult scientific challenges to get this project launched. But it is all coming together as we get the stations installed. We think it will be a great opportunity for educational outreach and to showcase some new capabilities for communities to learn more about their local air quality. These monitoring stations will enable communities to get information about nearby sources of air pollution that can impact local air quality.

Washington, DC

The five station locations being installed in 2015 as part of the local and state partnership are:

• Philadelphia, Pa. – the station is located in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia owned by the National Park Service.
• Washington, D.C. – the station is located in a children’s area at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park.
• Kansas City, Kan.- the station is located outside of the new South Branch public library in Kansas City.
• Hartford, Conn. – the station will be located outside of the Connecticut Science Center and will be installed in the summer or early fall of 2015.
• Oklahoma City, Okla. – the station will be located in the children’s garden of the Myriad Botanical Gardens and will be installed in the summer or early fall of 2015.
  

Kansas City, KS

So what is next? We are excited about the expansion of the Village Green Project and hope to learn how some of the new system features perform, such as a combined wind and solar power system we’re using for more northern locations.  We hope the project will provide more knowledge about how to build and operate next generation air quality measurement systems for use by communities.  Please stay tuned for more updates from the Village Green Project team members as we continue our learning journey.

 

About the Authors: Esteban Herrera is an environmental engineer and project lead for the Village Green Project. Gayle Hagler is an environmental engineer who studies air pollutant emissions and measurement technologies. John White is leading the effort of expanding AirNow’s capabilities to handle one-minute data, including data from the Village Green stations.

from Science http://ift.tt/1zHmuFM

This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

April 18 marks the start of National Park Week and you can visit any of America’s National Parks for free this weekend! But before you get outside to enjoy the spring weather and the great outdoors, be sure to catch up on the latest EPA science.

Here’s what we’re highlighting this week.

• Arrested (Watershed) Development
  In areas urban areas, a lot of rain water doesn’t get absorbed. Instead, it flows across the watershed, picking up pollutants and nutrients as it goes. EPA scientists helped address the growing concern for these pollutants by testing the waters in streams throughout the northeastern United States.
  
  Read more about their research in the blog It’s Arrested Urban Watershed Development

• The White House Announces Actions to Protect Communities from the Impacts of Climate Change
  As part of the Administration’s overall effort to combat climate change and protect human health, the White House announced a series of actions to support improved understanding, communications, and reduce health impacts of climate change. EPA’s Village Green stations were specifically mentioned for “Improving Air Quality Data.” The efforts of the Challenging Nutrients Coalition, which launched the Visualizing Nutrients Challenge, were also highlighted in this announcement.
  
  Read the full announcement from the White House in this fact sheet.

• Meet some of EPA’s amazing researchers
  Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an environmental scientist? If so, check out these great videos that give an inside look at what EPA Ecologist Robyn Conmy and EPA Biologist Joe Ebersole do in the lab.
  
  Watch the videos on EPA’s YouTube Channel here:
  
  Faces of EPA: Robyn Conmy
  Faces of EPA: Joe Ebersole

Coming up next week:

• Earth Day Seminar on Mega Trends
  April 22^nd from 3 to 5 pm
  
  EPA is partnering with the World Environment Center and the Wilson Center to host an Earth Day seminar on Mega Trends — long term trends that will have the most profound impacts on society. Panelists will share their views on such topics as: projected trends and impacts from climate change; extreme weather; urban growth; and energy, land, and water use.
  
  Find out more about the event and how to attend in the blog Creating “Years of Sustainable Development”

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1ISHr90

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

April 18 marks the start of National Park Week and you can visit any of America’s National Parks for free this weekend! But before you get outside to enjoy the spring weather and the great outdoors, be sure to catch up on the latest EPA science.

Here’s what we’re highlighting this week.

• Arrested (Watershed) Development
  In areas urban areas, a lot of rain water doesn’t get absorbed. Instead, it flows across the watershed, picking up pollutants and nutrients as it goes. EPA scientists helped address the growing concern for these pollutants by testing the waters in streams throughout the northeastern United States.
  
  Read more about their research in the blog It’s Arrested Urban Watershed Development

• The White House Announces Actions to Protect Communities from the Impacts of Climate Change
  As part of the Administration’s overall effort to combat climate change and protect human health, the White House announced a series of actions to support improved understanding, communications, and reduce health impacts of climate change. EPA’s Village Green stations were specifically mentioned for “Improving Air Quality Data.” The efforts of the Challenging Nutrients Coalition, which launched the Visualizing Nutrients Challenge, were also highlighted in this announcement.
  
  Read the full announcement from the White House in this fact sheet.

• Meet some of EPA’s amazing researchers
  Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be an environmental scientist? If so, check out these great videos that give an inside look at what EPA Ecologist Robyn Conmy and EPA Biologist Joe Ebersole do in the lab.
  
  Watch the videos on EPA’s YouTube Channel here:
  
  Faces of EPA: Robyn Conmy
  Faces of EPA: Joe Ebersole

Coming up next week:

• Earth Day Seminar on Mega Trends
  April 22^nd from 3 to 5 pm
  
  EPA is partnering with the World Environment Center and the Wilson Center to host an Earth Day seminar on Mega Trends — long term trends that will have the most profound impacts on society. Panelists will share their views on such topics as: projected trends and impacts from climate change; extreme weather; urban growth; and energy, land, and water use.
  
  Find out more about the event and how to attend in the blog Creating “Years of Sustainable Development”

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1ISHr90

This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Will you be in Washington DC this weekend among the hundreds of thousands of tourists at the National Cherry Blossom Festival?

If so, you’re in luck! Just a short metro ride away is the 11th Annual EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) student design competition for sustainability. Come to Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria to take a break from the crowds and see some of these very bright student teams demonstrate their innovative designs.

Read about the competition and more in this week’s Research Recap.

• Join us for a weekend of innovation
  The EPA P3 Competition is an annual event for teams of graduate and undergraduate students to design solutions for environmental and sustainability challenges. Over 40 teams from colleges and universities across the country will be showcasing their ideas for green technologies and competing for the EPA P3 Award and a Phase II grant of up to $75,000.
  
  Read more about the competition in the blog post Come See Innovation this Weekend!

• How Dr. Ken Olden became a “Nifty Fifty”
  As the Director of EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment, Dr. Ken Olden now has the opportunity to address the issues he’s wanted to change since he was a kid. He recently shared his experience with students at the Capital City Public Charter School as part of the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s “Nifty Fifty (times 4)”.
  
  Read his story in the blog You Can Make A Difference: How I Became a “Nifty Fifty”.

• Going above and beyond to track blooms
  EPA has joined NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey to use satellite data to monitor algal blooms. The new multi-agency effort will build on previous NASA ocean satellite sensor technologies created to study the global ocean’s microscopic algal communities.
  
  Read about this exciting new partnership in the blog Tracking Blooms from the Sky.

• Calling all data miners!
  Nutrient pollution is one the most expensive problems associated with aquatic environments. EPA, with U.S. Geological Survey and Blue Legacy International, has launched a competition looking for talented designers, coders, data scientists, sensor experts, and anyone interested in complex problems to analyze and organize existing nitrogen and phosphorus water pollution data.
  
  Read more about the competition in the blog Visualizing Our Waters.

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1Pt8Ks5

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Will you be in Washington DC this weekend among the hundreds of thousands of tourists at the National Cherry Blossom Festival?

If so, you’re in luck! Just a short metro ride away is the 11th Annual EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) student design competition for sustainability. Come to Oronoco Bay Park in Alexandria to take a break from the crowds and see some of these very bright student teams demonstrate their innovative designs.

Read about the competition and more in this week’s Research Recap.

• Join us for a weekend of innovation
  The EPA P3 Competition is an annual event for teams of graduate and undergraduate students to design solutions for environmental and sustainability challenges. Over 40 teams from colleges and universities across the country will be showcasing their ideas for green technologies and competing for the EPA P3 Award and a Phase II grant of up to $75,000.
  
  Read more about the competition in the blog post Come See Innovation this Weekend!

• How Dr. Ken Olden became a “Nifty Fifty”
  As the Director of EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment, Dr. Ken Olden now has the opportunity to address the issues he’s wanted to change since he was a kid. He recently shared his experience with students at the Capital City Public Charter School as part of the USA Science & Engineering Festival’s “Nifty Fifty (times 4)”.
  
  Read his story in the blog You Can Make A Difference: How I Became a “Nifty Fifty”.

• Going above and beyond to track blooms
  EPA has joined NASA, NOAA, and the U.S. Geological Survey to use satellite data to monitor algal blooms. The new multi-agency effort will build on previous NASA ocean satellite sensor technologies created to study the global ocean’s microscopic algal communities.
  
  Read about this exciting new partnership in the blog Tracking Blooms from the Sky.

• Calling all data miners!
  Nutrient pollution is one the most expensive problems associated with aquatic environments. EPA, with U.S. Geological Survey and Blue Legacy International, has launched a competition looking for talented designers, coders, data scientists, sensor experts, and anyone interested in complex problems to analyze and organize existing nitrogen and phosphorus water pollution data.
  
  Read more about the competition in the blog Visualizing Our Waters.

If you have any comments or questions about what I share or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1Pt8Ks5

Come See Innovation this Weekend!

Cynthia Nolt-Helms

Come see the P3 teams show innovation this weekend!

Spring is here, and there is much to look forward to in Washington, DC! Besides enjoying cherry blossoms and sunnier weather, I look forward to innovation. Odd, I know. But along with the flowers and festivals, innovative green technologies come to the DC area, too. This coming weekend, April 11-12, EPA is sponsoring the 11^th Annual EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) student design competition for sustainability.

The EPA P3 Competition is an annual event for teams of graduate and undergraduate students to design solutions for environmental and sustainability challenges. Some 250 students representing 42 teams from colleges and universities across the country will be showcasing their ideas for green technologies and competing for the EPA P3 Award and a Phase II grant of up to $75,000.

These creative students, passionate about promoting a sustainable world, already have competed in the first phase of this national contest. They won a Phase I grant of $15,000 to work on their project during the school year.

Through EPA’s P3 Program, the students demonstrate their ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, navigate competition requirements, and perhaps most importantly, communicate the value of their ideas to a broad range of people. From the judges convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to the school children who may visit their exhibits, the teams will be explaining how they are taking their innovations from the drawing board to the real world for the benefit of people, to promote prosperity and to protect the planet. That’s P3!

In the interest of fairness, I don’t want to highlight any one of the competing teams. But I do get to brag about the accomplishments of past EPA P3 winners we were able to support through the program. To date, 25 percent of award winning teams have gone on to start companies or form nonprofit organizations. Through the years, faculty have used the program to develop college-level courses in sustainability where none had existed before. Because they won an EPA P3 Award, students have received other awards, funding and recognition—from coveted fellowships to investment capital to international environmental awards.

Now we’re at the beginning of a new cycle of accomplishments for a new class of P3 teams. Spring is a time of promise, and this week brings a new crop of green technologies that we think hold promise. For me and the rest of the EPA P3 team, the expo is the fun part of our jobs!

We hope you will join us. Meet the teams. Learn something about the environment you didn’t know. Explore solutions with the students.

Every year we are amazed and inspired by them. We think you will be too!

11^th Annual EPA P3 Competition at the National Sustainable Design Expo:

• Saturday, April 11, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm


• Sunday, April 12, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm


• Oronoco Bay Park, Alexandria, Virginia

About the Author : Cynthia Nolt-Helms has directed the P3 Program since 2006. A native of Oregon, she felt compelled from an early age to preserve the planet. Seeing public service as an opportunity to have a broad impact, she thought the EPA was a logical fit for her professional and personal goals. In 25+ years there, she has developed national wildlife criteria under the Clean Water Act and has led grant initiatives for clean water.

from Science http://ift.tt/1GLwF1R

Cynthia Nolt-Helms

Come see the P3 teams show innovation this weekend!

Spring is here, and there is much to look forward to in Washington, DC! Besides enjoying cherry blossoms and sunnier weather, I look forward to innovation. Odd, I know. But along with the flowers and festivals, innovative green technologies come to the DC area, too. This coming weekend, April 11-12, EPA is sponsoring the 11^th Annual EPA People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) student design competition for sustainability.

The EPA P3 Competition is an annual event for teams of graduate and undergraduate students to design solutions for environmental and sustainability challenges. Some 250 students representing 42 teams from colleges and universities across the country will be showcasing their ideas for green technologies and competing for the EPA P3 Award and a Phase II grant of up to $75,000.

These creative students, passionate about promoting a sustainable world, already have competed in the first phase of this national contest. They won a Phase I grant of $15,000 to work on their project during the school year.

Through EPA’s P3 Program, the students demonstrate their ability to work in multidisciplinary teams, navigate competition requirements, and perhaps most importantly, communicate the value of their ideas to a broad range of people. From the judges convened by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to the school children who may visit their exhibits, the teams will be explaining how they are taking their innovations from the drawing board to the real world for the benefit of people, to promote prosperity and to protect the planet. That’s P3!

In the interest of fairness, I don’t want to highlight any one of the competing teams. But I do get to brag about the accomplishments of past EPA P3 winners we were able to support through the program. To date, 25 percent of award winning teams have gone on to start companies or form nonprofit organizations. Through the years, faculty have used the program to develop college-level courses in sustainability where none had existed before. Because they won an EPA P3 Award, students have received other awards, funding and recognition—from coveted fellowships to investment capital to international environmental awards.

Now we’re at the beginning of a new cycle of accomplishments for a new class of P3 teams. Spring is a time of promise, and this week brings a new crop of green technologies that we think hold promise. For me and the rest of the EPA P3 team, the expo is the fun part of our jobs!

We hope you will join us. Meet the teams. Learn something about the environment you didn’t know. Explore solutions with the students.

Every year we are amazed and inspired by them. We think you will be too!

11^th Annual EPA P3 Competition at the National Sustainable Design Expo:

• Saturday, April 11, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm


• Sunday, April 12, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm


• Oronoco Bay Park, Alexandria, Virginia

About the Author : Cynthia Nolt-Helms has directed the P3 Program since 2006. A native of Oregon, she felt compelled from an early age to preserve the planet. Seeing public service as an opportunity to have a broad impact, she thought the EPA was a logical fit for her professional and personal goals. In 25+ years there, she has developed national wildlife criteria under the Clean Water Act and has led grant initiatives for clean water.

from Science http://ift.tt/1GLwF1R

Thirty Years of Undergraduate Support through the Greater Research Opportunities Fellowship Program

By Georgette Boddie

GRO Alumni Gregory Crawford

When I came to the Environmental Protection Agency some thirty five years ago, I did not know it would include the wonderful opportunity to impact the lives of so many students. As Program Manager for the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship Program, I have worked with hundreds of Fellows to ensure that they have the support they need while in the program. I began in 1997 when it was called the Minority Academic Institutions Undergraduate Student Fellowships, which targeted underrepresented undergraduate students interested in the environmental sciences. We offered an opportunity for promising undergraduates to pursue these related disciplines as undergraduates with less of a financial burden. Fellows could also participate in a 12-week summer internship at an EPA facility, doing real-world science and engineering.

When I think back to my first group of Fellows (11 students), it is amazing to see that the program has grown to fund up to 40 students per year. And it’s even harder to believe that more than 400 students have been supported through the program.

The most rewarding part is knowing that because of GRO, Fellows were able to gain invaluable experience and find their true calling in the environmental field. Many now work in academia, the federal government, the private sector, non-government organizations and state agencies.

Our GRO Forum shares the stories of our alumni as they continue to protect human health and the environment. There are many that stand out in my mind and a few that have kept in touch with me over the years, keeping me posted about their career journey. Here are just a couple:

• 1995 Fellow Gregory Crawford is easy to remember because he started before I was managing the program. I first reached out to him requesting information to include in the GRO Forum. He responded almost immediately and we have been in contact ever since!


• Another that comes to mind is Cynthia Williams, a 2007 Fellow. She has been working toward her doctoral degree in chemistry at the University of California-Davis, with hopes of one day working for EPA. She has also given back to the program on numerous occasions, serving as a peer reviewer evaluating program applicants.

Those are just two examples of many memorable students I’ve been fortunate to get to know, but they all have had impacts on the program.

This year marks more than 30 years that EPA has provided support to undergraduate students through GRO. And with the recent announcement of our 2014 cohort of GRO Fellows, 34 more now have the opportunity to focus on their studies in environmental-related disciplines.

When the time comes for me to retire, I know I’ll be pleased to know that I have made a positive difference in the lives of so many students, and have helped to set their path as future environmental pioneers.

About the Author : Georgette Boddie has worked at EPA for 34 years. During that time she has served in numerous capacities, and in more recent years, as program manager for the GRO Undergraduate Fellowships program. Ms. Boddie has managed hundreds of student fellows throughout her professional career. However she has no doubt touched the lives of thousands.

from Science http://ift.tt/1EDCteG

By Georgette Boddie

GRO Alumni Gregory Crawford

When I came to the Environmental Protection Agency some thirty five years ago, I did not know it would include the wonderful opportunity to impact the lives of so many students. As Program Manager for the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowship Program, I have worked with hundreds of Fellows to ensure that they have the support they need while in the program. I began in 1997 when it was called the Minority Academic Institutions Undergraduate Student Fellowships, which targeted underrepresented undergraduate students interested in the environmental sciences. We offered an opportunity for promising undergraduates to pursue these related disciplines as undergraduates with less of a financial burden. Fellows could also participate in a 12-week summer internship at an EPA facility, doing real-world science and engineering.

When I think back to my first group of Fellows (11 students), it is amazing to see that the program has grown to fund up to 40 students per year. And it’s even harder to believe that more than 400 students have been supported through the program.

The most rewarding part is knowing that because of GRO, Fellows were able to gain invaluable experience and find their true calling in the environmental field. Many now work in academia, the federal government, the private sector, non-government organizations and state agencies.

Our GRO Forum shares the stories of our alumni as they continue to protect human health and the environment. There are many that stand out in my mind and a few that have kept in touch with me over the years, keeping me posted about their career journey. Here are just a couple:

• 1995 Fellow Gregory Crawford is easy to remember because he started before I was managing the program. I first reached out to him requesting information to include in the GRO Forum. He responded almost immediately and we have been in contact ever since!


• Another that comes to mind is Cynthia Williams, a 2007 Fellow. She has been working toward her doctoral degree in chemistry at the University of California-Davis, with hopes of one day working for EPA. She has also given back to the program on numerous occasions, serving as a peer reviewer evaluating program applicants.

Those are just two examples of many memorable students I’ve been fortunate to get to know, but they all have had impacts on the program.

This year marks more than 30 years that EPA has provided support to undergraduate students through GRO. And with the recent announcement of our 2014 cohort of GRO Fellows, 34 more now have the opportunity to focus on their studies in environmental-related disciplines.

When the time comes for me to retire, I know I’ll be pleased to know that I have made a positive difference in the lives of so many students, and have helped to set their path as future environmental pioneers.

About the Author : Georgette Boddie has worked at EPA for 34 years. During that time she has served in numerous capacities, and in more recent years, as program manager for the GRO Undergraduate Fellowships program. Ms. Boddie has managed hundreds of student fellows throughout her professional career. However she has no doubt touched the lives of thousands.

from Science http://ift.tt/1EDCteG

This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Can’t wait until next week to be green? Start St. Patrick’s Day a little early by reading about environmental science!

Here’s the latest in EPA research.

• EPA Administrator Visits Newark’s New Community Air Pollution Project
  Administrator Gina McCarthy joined New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and other community members at Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood Family Success Center to launch an EPA-Ironbound partnership for community air monitoring that is a first of its kind citizen science project.
  
  Read about the partnership in Training Citizen Scientists to Monitor Air Quality.

• Got an Environmental Science Question? Ask an EPA Scientist!
  Have you ever had a question about something you saw and wished you had an expert you could ask? In this new blog series, I ask EPA scientists questions about environmental science that were submitted online. The first post tackles this question – Is road salt bad for the environment?
  
  Read the answer in this week’s Ask an EPA Scientist blog.

• Contributions in Environmental and Conservation Fields
  March is Women’s History Month, and EPA is marking the event by highlighting the many contributions women have made to the environmental and conservation fields. We shared advice that EPA women scientists and engineers have for students looking to make their own mark in environmental and conservation history.
  
  Read their advice in this Women’s History Month blog.

If you have any comments or questions about what I shared or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1GAfVsn

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Can’t wait until next week to be green? Start St. Patrick’s Day a little early by reading about environmental science!

Here’s the latest in EPA research.

• EPA Administrator Visits Newark’s New Community Air Pollution Project
  Administrator Gina McCarthy joined New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and other community members at Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood Family Success Center to launch an EPA-Ironbound partnership for community air monitoring that is a first of its kind citizen science project.
  
  Read about the partnership in Training Citizen Scientists to Monitor Air Quality.

• Got an Environmental Science Question? Ask an EPA Scientist!
  Have you ever had a question about something you saw and wished you had an expert you could ask? In this new blog series, I ask EPA scientists questions about environmental science that were submitted online. The first post tackles this question – Is road salt bad for the environment?
  
  Read the answer in this week’s Ask an EPA Scientist blog.

• Contributions in Environmental and Conservation Fields
  March is Women’s History Month, and EPA is marking the event by highlighting the many contributions women have made to the environmental and conservation fields. We shared advice that EPA women scientists and engineers have for students looking to make their own mark in environmental and conservation history.
  
  Read their advice in this Women’s History Month blog.

If you have any comments or questions about what I shared or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author: Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1GAfVsn

Training Citizen Scientists to Monitor Air Quality

By Amanda Kaufman

Next-generation air monitor developed by EPA researchers

As a science fellow at EPA, I am working with Agency researchers to help bring local air measurement capabilities to communities. This includes training citizen scientists with next generation air monitors developed by EPA researchers. One such device is the Citizen Science Air Monitor, which contains many sophisticated instruments to measure air quality under its sleek and simple design.

Today, Administrator Gina McCarthy is joining New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and other community members at Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood Family Success Center to launch an EPA-Ironbound partnership for community air monitoring that is a first of its kind citizen science project. Read the press release.

The monitor does a lot for being so small and portable. It measures two air pollutants—nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter—as well as relative humidity and temperature. Residents of the Ironbound community are using the monitors to measure pollutants in different locations, during different times of the day and under a variety of weather conditions. The community is impacted by many sources of air pollutants.

In January, I traveled to Newark with researchers who developed the monitor to help train members of the Ironbound Community Corporation to use and maintain the monitors and collect data. The training was very hands-on and the participants were enthusiastic. They even turned the exercise for assembling the monitors into a friendly competition.

EPA researchers shared two training manuals that they developed as part of the outreach project. The quality assurance guidelines and operating procedures manuals are available to the public and are part of an online Citizen Science Toolbox developed to assist citizen scientists who are interested in using new air sensor technologies.

While the quality assurance guidelines and operating procedure are specific to the monitor developed for the Ironbound community, many of the concepts detailed in the documents are transferable to similar air quality monitoring efforts using next generation air monitors. The manuals are:

• The Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) Quality Assurance Guidelines provides basic information to ensure that the environmental data collected in their monitoring project is credible and usable.

• The Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) Operating Procedure manual provides users simple, step-by-step instructions on how to use the CSAM, including software installation and setup, performance checks, field operation, data collection, and data processing.

The ultimate goal of the research project is to empower people with information to address their local air quality concerns. I am glad to be a part of this important activity empowering a community to monitor their local quality

About the Author: Amanda Kaufman is an ORISE participant hosted by EPA’s Air, Climate, and Energy national research program.

from Science http://ift.tt/19gIXmw

By Amanda Kaufman

Next-generation air monitor developed by EPA researchers

As a science fellow at EPA, I am working with Agency researchers to help bring local air measurement capabilities to communities. This includes training citizen scientists with next generation air monitors developed by EPA researchers. One such device is the Citizen Science Air Monitor, which contains many sophisticated instruments to measure air quality under its sleek and simple design.

Today, Administrator Gina McCarthy is joining New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, and other community members at Newark’s Ironbound neighborhood Family Success Center to launch an EPA-Ironbound partnership for community air monitoring that is a first of its kind citizen science project. Read the press release.

The monitor does a lot for being so small and portable. It measures two air pollutants—nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter—as well as relative humidity and temperature. Residents of the Ironbound community are using the monitors to measure pollutants in different locations, during different times of the day and under a variety of weather conditions. The community is impacted by many sources of air pollutants.

In January, I traveled to Newark with researchers who developed the monitor to help train members of the Ironbound Community Corporation to use and maintain the monitors and collect data. The training was very hands-on and the participants were enthusiastic. They even turned the exercise for assembling the monitors into a friendly competition.

EPA researchers shared two training manuals that they developed as part of the outreach project. The quality assurance guidelines and operating procedures manuals are available to the public and are part of an online Citizen Science Toolbox developed to assist citizen scientists who are interested in using new air sensor technologies.

While the quality assurance guidelines and operating procedure are specific to the monitor developed for the Ironbound community, many of the concepts detailed in the documents are transferable to similar air quality monitoring efforts using next generation air monitors. The manuals are:

• The Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) Quality Assurance Guidelines provides basic information to ensure that the environmental data collected in their monitoring project is credible and usable.

• The Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM) Operating Procedure manual provides users simple, step-by-step instructions on how to use the CSAM, including software installation and setup, performance checks, field operation, data collection, and data processing.

The ultimate goal of the research project is to empower people with information to address their local air quality concerns. I am glad to be a part of this important activity empowering a community to monitor their local quality

About the Author: Amanda Kaufman is an ORISE participant hosted by EPA’s Air, Climate, and Energy national research program.

from Science http://ift.tt/19gIXmw

This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Rawr – this March certainly came in like a lion! With a big late-winter storm leaving a path of snow, sleet and freezing rain across much of the country—including enough to shut down our offices here in Washington, DC yesterday—it’s starting to feel like spring is never going to arrive.

Please enjoy the latest in EPA science while we patiently wait for things to thaw out.

• Making Connections for Citizen Science
  The Citizen Science Association recently hosted their inaugural conference where attendees shared new and inventive ways to actively involve individuals in quality scientific research. EPA’s Rachel McIntosh-Kastrinsky teaches sixth and seventh graders how to use low-cost environmental sensors. She presented her project at the conference.
  
  Read about her experience in her Making Connections for Citizen Science blog post.

• EPA’s Scientific Integrity Annual Report
  EPA works to ensure that every scientist and engineer who works for or in partnership with the Agency upholds the highest standards of scientific integrity. This week EPA released the Fiscal Year 2014 Scientific Integrity Annual Report. The report highlights accomplishments and identifies areas for improvement and action.
  
  EPA’s Scientific Integrity Officer Francesca Grifo discusses the release in her message Our Commitment to Scientific Integrity at EPA.

And coming up next week…

• EnviroAtlas: Connecting people, ecosystems, and well-being
  Interested in learning how to visualize and explore nature’s benefits, such as clean air and water, food, and opportunities for recreation? This webinar will introduce EnviroAtlas and provide an in-depth demonstration of the Interactive Map.
  
  The webinar is Tuesday, March 17^th from 3:00PM to 4:30PM.

If you have any comments or questions about what I shared or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author : Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1CIEnKc

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Rawr – this March certainly came in like a lion! With a big late-winter storm leaving a path of snow, sleet and freezing rain across much of the country—including enough to shut down our offices here in Washington, DC yesterday—it’s starting to feel like spring is never going to arrive.

Please enjoy the latest in EPA science while we patiently wait for things to thaw out.

• Making Connections for Citizen Science
  The Citizen Science Association recently hosted their inaugural conference where attendees shared new and inventive ways to actively involve individuals in quality scientific research. EPA’s Rachel McIntosh-Kastrinsky teaches sixth and seventh graders how to use low-cost environmental sensors. She presented her project at the conference.
  
  Read about her experience in her Making Connections for Citizen Science blog post.

• EPA’s Scientific Integrity Annual Report
  EPA works to ensure that every scientist and engineer who works for or in partnership with the Agency upholds the highest standards of scientific integrity. This week EPA released the Fiscal Year 2014 Scientific Integrity Annual Report. The report highlights accomplishments and identifies areas for improvement and action.
  
  EPA’s Scientific Integrity Officer Francesca Grifo discusses the release in her message Our Commitment to Scientific Integrity at EPA.

And coming up next week…

• EnviroAtlas: Connecting people, ecosystems, and well-being
  Interested in learning how to visualize and explore nature’s benefits, such as clean air and water, food, and opportunities for recreation? This webinar will introduce EnviroAtlas and provide an in-depth demonstration of the Interactive Map.
  
  The webinar is Tuesday, March 17^th from 3:00PM to 4:30PM.

If you have any comments or questions about what I shared or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author : Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1CIEnKc

This Week in EPA Science

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Are you in need of a good indoor activity this very snowy February? How about catching up on what’s been happening in EPA science!

Check out the research that we’ve highlighted this week.

• New Model for Mississippi Nutrient Pollution
  EPA researchers developed the Coastal General Ecosystem Model to address the nutrient pollution flowing from the Mississippi River watershed into the Gulf of Mexico. The state-of-the-art model provides a wealth of important information to scientists and stakeholders seeking to better understand and manage nutrient pollution in the Gulf.
  
  Read about the model in this “Around the Water Cooler” blog.

• Applying EPA Research to the Underworlds
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists are building on the work of EPA scientist Christian Daughton to study community health by monitoring sewage. Daughton published conceptual research in 2012 presenting his idea of Sewage Chemical Information Mining.
  
  Read about how an EPA Pathfinder Innovation Project inspired the MIT scientists.

• Precision Medicine: Treatments Targeted to the Individual
  President Obama has outlined his vision for a Precision Medicine Initiative, “a bold new research effort to revolutionize how we improve health and treat disease.” One EPA researcher has been at the forefront of this topic for more than a decade.
  
  Read more about that research in this blog.

• Chasing the “WOW!” With Citizen Schools and EPA Science
  EPA staff have been volunteering in the “Citizen Schools” program to teach hands-on, after school apprenticeships. Agency student contractor Andrew Murray experienced many “wow” moments leading one, called “Power Play,” focused on studying various energy generation methods, and their relations to pollution and climate change.
  
  Read about Murray’s wow experience.

• Breastfed Infants have Lower Arsenic Exposure than Formula-fed Infants
  A recently published study from the Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth College, jointly funded by EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, has found that babies who are fed by formula rather than breastfeeding may be taking in higher levels of arsenic. The findings suggest that breastfed infants have lower arsenic exposure than formula-fed infants, and that both formula powder and drinking water can be sources of exposure for U.S. infants.
  
  Read Estimated Exposure to Arsenic in Breastfed and Formula-Fed Infants in a United States Cohort (Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.140878).

• Happy 20th Anniversary to EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research!
  EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research is celebrating 20 years of supporting high quality research by the nation’s leading scientists and engineers to improve the scientific basis for Agency decisions. EPA supports this research through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, fellowships, and research contracts under the Agency’s Small Business Innovative Research Program.
  
  Learn more about Agency support for world-class research and innovation.

If you have any comments or questions about what I shared or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author : Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1DzYzLI

By Kacey Fitzpatrick

Are you in need of a good indoor activity this very snowy February? How about catching up on what’s been happening in EPA science!

Check out the research that we’ve highlighted this week.

• New Model for Mississippi Nutrient Pollution
  EPA researchers developed the Coastal General Ecosystem Model to address the nutrient pollution flowing from the Mississippi River watershed into the Gulf of Mexico. The state-of-the-art model provides a wealth of important information to scientists and stakeholders seeking to better understand and manage nutrient pollution in the Gulf.
  
  Read about the model in this “Around the Water Cooler” blog.

• Applying EPA Research to the Underworlds
  Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists are building on the work of EPA scientist Christian Daughton to study community health by monitoring sewage. Daughton published conceptual research in 2012 presenting his idea of Sewage Chemical Information Mining.
  
  Read about how an EPA Pathfinder Innovation Project inspired the MIT scientists.

• Precision Medicine: Treatments Targeted to the Individual
  President Obama has outlined his vision for a Precision Medicine Initiative, “a bold new research effort to revolutionize how we improve health and treat disease.” One EPA researcher has been at the forefront of this topic for more than a decade.
  
  Read more about that research in this blog.

• Chasing the “WOW!” With Citizen Schools and EPA Science
  EPA staff have been volunteering in the “Citizen Schools” program to teach hands-on, after school apprenticeships. Agency student contractor Andrew Murray experienced many “wow” moments leading one, called “Power Play,” focused on studying various energy generation methods, and their relations to pollution and climate change.
  
  Read about Murray’s wow experience.

• Breastfed Infants have Lower Arsenic Exposure than Formula-fed Infants
  A recently published study from the Children’s Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Center at Dartmouth College, jointly funded by EPA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, has found that babies who are fed by formula rather than breastfeeding may be taking in higher levels of arsenic. The findings suggest that breastfed infants have lower arsenic exposure than formula-fed infants, and that both formula powder and drinking water can be sources of exposure for U.S. infants.
  
  Read Estimated Exposure to Arsenic in Breastfed and Formula-Fed Infants in a United States Cohort (Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.140878).

• Happy 20th Anniversary to EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research!
  EPA’s National Center for Environmental Research is celebrating 20 years of supporting high quality research by the nation’s leading scientists and engineers to improve the scientific basis for Agency decisions. EPA supports this research through the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, fellowships, and research contracts under the Agency’s Small Business Innovative Research Program.
  
  Learn more about Agency support for world-class research and innovation.

If you have any comments or questions about what I shared or about the week’s events, please submit them below in the comments section!

About the Author : Kacey Fitzpatrick is a student contractor and writer working with the science communication team in EPA’s Office of Research and Development.

from Science http://ift.tt/1DzYzLI

Chasing the “WOW!” With Citizen Schools and EPA Science

By Andrew Murray

Students share their final presentations.

When I was first asked to lead an after school Citizen Schools apprenticeship, I was fairly apprehensive. Sure, I had taught plenty of episodic classroom presentations and felt comfortable around kids, but committing to teach the same 20 students every week? It was a bit intimidating at first, especially since I’ve never been trained as a teacher and just graduated from college myself.

I was quickly reassured that Citizen Schools is all about having non-teachers teaching; thus the reason it’s called “Citizen” Schools. Volunteer “Citizen Teachers” teach after school hands-on apprenticeships on topics from their careers and expertise. The apprenticeships are taught for 90 minutes, once a week, for 10 weeks, with a final showcase at the end of the semester. The Citizen Schools program targets low-income middle schools to close the “opportunity gap” through academic enrichment and career insight. EPA has been participating in the Durham, NC Citizen Schools program for seven years, at both Neal Middle School and Lowe’s Grove Middle School.

Last fall, I was lucky enough to join a team of veteran EPA employees teaching at Lowe’s Grove. Our apprenticeship was called “Power Play,” which focused on studying various energy generation methods, and their relations to pollution and climate change.

Once we decided on what we were going to teach, we pitched our apprenticeship at the Citizen School Apprenticeship Fair. The students then get the opportunity to sign up for the apprenticeships that interest them. I watched the veterans pitch the apprenticeship a couple of times, and then took my first swing at it. After seeing the kids get excited, my own excitement and confidence grew and, suddenly, I was hooked.

Over the following ten weeks, we would meet with the students every Wednesday after school and teach them about energy and the environment. We built solar ovens, wind turbines, and water wheels, and learned about energy consumption and modeling through an Energy Generation board game developed by EPA colleagues.

“Generate,” a board game developed by EPA researchers.

Every week was mentally challenging, but extremely rewarding. It all lead up to the final presentations – the WOW! event where the students had the chance to “teach back” to the public, their teachers, and their families. For me, the WOW! was what made teaching the apprenticeship addicting. After seeing what the students took away and how excited they were to present it and teach it to the public, I realized what a difference the citizen teachers make in the lives of these students.

The new semester of Citizen School is about to start, and I will be teaching with the same team again at Lowe’s Grove. We will be leading an apprenticeship on “Making Sense of Air Quality,” while another team leads an apprenticeship at Neal on “Environmental Sensing.” I’m so excited to get back in the classroom to make a difference in the lives of another class of up-and-coming environmental experts!

About the Author: Andrew Murray is a Student Services Contractor for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. He graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in 2009, and a received B.S. in Environmental Science from NC State University in 2014.

from Science http://ift.tt/1AU9lP6

By Andrew Murray

Students share their final presentations.

When I was first asked to lead an after school Citizen Schools apprenticeship, I was fairly apprehensive. Sure, I had taught plenty of episodic classroom presentations and felt comfortable around kids, but committing to teach the same 20 students every week? It was a bit intimidating at first, especially since I’ve never been trained as a teacher and just graduated from college myself.

I was quickly reassured that Citizen Schools is all about having non-teachers teaching; thus the reason it’s called “Citizen” Schools. Volunteer “Citizen Teachers” teach after school hands-on apprenticeships on topics from their careers and expertise. The apprenticeships are taught for 90 minutes, once a week, for 10 weeks, with a final showcase at the end of the semester. The Citizen Schools program targets low-income middle schools to close the “opportunity gap” through academic enrichment and career insight. EPA has been participating in the Durham, NC Citizen Schools program for seven years, at both Neal Middle School and Lowe’s Grove Middle School.

Last fall, I was lucky enough to join a team of veteran EPA employees teaching at Lowe’s Grove. Our apprenticeship was called “Power Play,” which focused on studying various energy generation methods, and their relations to pollution and climate change.

Once we decided on what we were going to teach, we pitched our apprenticeship at the Citizen School Apprenticeship Fair. The students then get the opportunity to sign up for the apprenticeships that interest them. I watched the veterans pitch the apprenticeship a couple of times, and then took my first swing at it. After seeing the kids get excited, my own excitement and confidence grew and, suddenly, I was hooked.

Over the following ten weeks, we would meet with the students every Wednesday after school and teach them about energy and the environment. We built solar ovens, wind turbines, and water wheels, and learned about energy consumption and modeling through an Energy Generation board game developed by EPA colleagues.

“Generate,” a board game developed by EPA researchers.

Every week was mentally challenging, but extremely rewarding. It all lead up to the final presentations – the WOW! event where the students had the chance to “teach back” to the public, their teachers, and their families. For me, the WOW! was what made teaching the apprenticeship addicting. After seeing what the students took away and how excited they were to present it and teach it to the public, I realized what a difference the citizen teachers make in the lives of these students.

The new semester of Citizen School is about to start, and I will be teaching with the same team again at Lowe’s Grove. We will be leading an apprenticeship on “Making Sense of Air Quality,” while another team leads an apprenticeship at Neal on “Environmental Sensing.” I’m so excited to get back in the classroom to make a difference in the lives of another class of up-and-coming environmental experts!

About the Author: Andrew Murray is a Student Services Contractor for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. He graduated from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in 2009, and a received B.S. in Environmental Science from NC State University in 2014.

from Science http://ift.tt/1AU9lP6

Happy Holidays!

Due to the short work week, the Research Recap will return next week. Thank you for your interest in EPA research, and happy holidays to all!

from Science http://ift.tt/1xMO2gb

Due to the short work week, the Research Recap will return next week. Thank you for your interest in EPA research, and happy holidays to all!

from Science http://ift.tt/1xMO2gb