| Team
Robert J. Griffin ( Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University )
Kabindra Man Shakya (Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University)
Daewon Byun (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston)
Project Background
Mercury is a toxic metal that occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust. However, human activities such as power generation from coal-burning power plants, industry, and waste incineration can lead to the transfer of mercury to the atmosphere.
Experiments completed during Summer 2008 indicate that organic particle surfaces alter the rate of conversion into the atmosphere.
A computational model will be developed to simulate experimental results to predict the concentration of all relevant chemical species as a function of time.
When the model is able to simulate it will be implemented into an air quality model used to predict the temporal and spatial distribution of air pollution in the Houston area. The air quality model will then be used to address how an increased understanding of particle-mercury interactions changes the spatial and temporal distribution of different forms of mercury in the simulated Houston atmosphere.
|
