Title: The chemistry of the air we breathe: From urban aerosols to wildfire smoke
Abstract: Atmospheric aerosols influence air quality, human health, and climate, with effects that depend on their sources, properties, and environmental conditions. My research integrates laboratory and field measurements, atmospheric modeling, and satellite observations. In this talk, I will examine how aerosols influence oxidative chemistry relevant to human health and air quality, focusing on the oxidative potential of urban particles and the effects of wildfire smoke aerosols on ozone production. Measurements across Greater Los Angeles identified vehicular exhaust and brake and tire wear as major contributors to oxidative potential and revealed a more pronounced inverse social gradient in oxidative potential than in PM2.5 mass. In wildfire plumes, modeling revealed how light attenuation and radical uptake by aerosols counteract ozone enhancement from precursor emissions, with their relative importance changing as plumes evolve. Together, these studies advance our understanding of how aerosol sources and reactivity shape the air we breathe, with implications for air quality and public health.
