Why Should I Care About Microplastics? Microplastics come from larger plastic items, breaking down to sizes so small we cannot see them with our bare eyes. These microplastics can be found everywhere, ranging from our oceans to even the food Continue reading
What’s the Big Deal About Microplastics? Microplastics are tiny fragments of plastic, smaller than a grain of rice, that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items. These minuscule bits are practically everywhere—floating in our oceans, lurking in soils, and Continue reading
Did you know that the water we drink might contain tiny pieces of plastic? Microplastics, are small fragments that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items, and are present in much of what we consume. From the air we Continue reading
Recently, our group conducted a study that looked at the presence of PM2.5 and NO2 inside on-campus restaurants and neighboring indoor areas. PM2.5 and NO2 are pollutants that are produced through the process of cooking food. Prolonged exposure to these Continue reading
The air we breathe is absolutely crucial for our health, helping us stay strong and live vibrant lives. Clean air doesn’t just benefit our lungs—it supports the overall health of ecosystems and affects the quality of the soil and water Continue reading
Did you ever think that cooking could produce air pollution? I certainly didn’t at first, but it in fact does! Two specific types of air pollution are a concern here: PM2.5, which are super tiny particles within the air, and Continue reading
What are Furans and PCBs? PCB stands for polychlorinated biphenyls and PCBs had started to become an environmental concern in the 1980s and 1990s. PCBs are persistent in the environment and have the ability to bioaccumulate in living organisms. In high Continue reading
As pollution from automobiles and energy production takes their toll on our environment, strides have been made to seek more renewable and environmentally safe forms of fuel and energy. One such push for renewability is the use and production of Continue reading
What is pE? If you’ve never heard of pE, you might just think that it has something to do with pH. This is true to some extent, the determination of pE involves pH but besides that, they are quite different. Continue reading
My name is Ashley Corrigan Steffey and I am excited to be co-teaching Chem 355 this spring with Dr. De Haan. Over the past ten years my life has revolved around environmental chemistry, including working at the USGS (water chemistry), graduate Continue reading
