Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Air pollution is responsible for both health and environmental issues. Elevated exposure to airborne contaminants correlates to increases in emergency room visits, hospital admissions and premature deaths. The related health conditions include aggravated cardiac and respiratory diseases (e.g. asthma, bronchitis), acute toxic effects, allergies and cancers. Aerosol, defined as solid particles and droplets suspended in the air, is one of the most critical air pollutants and is generated from sources such as transportation, industry, agriculture, and urban land use. There is a consistently increased risk for cardiovascular events in relation to both short- and long-term exposure to ambient aerosol particles. Air pollution also has an effect on weather and climate. The increase in atmospheric concentrations of man-made tiny aerosol particles may have changed the energy balance in the atmosphere and at the Earth's surface and altered the global water cycle, making the climate system more prone to precipitation extremes. Canada strives to be a leader in global environmental protection, while improving public health and building a sustainable economy. However, our heavy reliance on energy-intensive industries makes it more difficult for Canada to meet its environmental commitments. With the recovery of the global economy, Canadian energy consumption is expected to keep increasing to 2025; and, air pollutant emissions will increase correspondingly. Canada needs fundamental research to support the development of cost-effective air cleaning technologies and highly qualified personnel (HQP) in the field of clean air. The long-term goals of the program are aimed at advancing knowledge in the measurement and control of air pollutants and the training of HQP in this related field. For the next 5 years, our focus will be on an emerging and challenging subject - ultrafine particles (sub-100 nm particles, also referred to as nano-particles by others). We will work on two interrelated projects: a) ultrafine particle filtration theory development and b) airborne nano-particle number and size measurement for effective monitoring.