Welcome, San Diego Pollution Trackers, to your fall 2024 blog. This weblog is the public face of the University of San Diego‘s fall 2024 environmental chemistry class (Chem 355). It will keep you in the know about our experimental results, Continue reading
Welcome, University of San Diego Sustainability students, to your course blog! This group weblog is the public face of the University of San Diego’s Intersession 2023 Urban Sustainability class (Chem 112) in Auckland. It will keep you in the know about our experimental Continue reading
Background: Per-Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as “forever chemicals” because of their persistence in the environment. The C-F bonds in the compound result in very long breakdown times because of low reactivity, and thus have very high bioaccumulation. PFAS are Continue reading
As Americans we drive in cars. We use electricity for our houses and cell phones. And we burn fossil fuels to power these processes. The average American releases more carbon into the atmosphere per capita than any other country in Continue reading
The stuff in our trash is taken and thrown in landfills. In those landfills our trash is sitting around and breaking apart into different little pieces. In these tiny pieces are a special group of chemicals made up of carbon, Continue reading
What are PFAS? Per-fluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” (Hersher). PFAS acquired this term due to their ability to remain in the environment for decades. PFAS pose a threat to the environment due Continue reading
Introduction The small organisms that live at the bottom of the marine life food chain, phytoplankton, are more important than we think. Their main purpose involves absorbing CO2 from our atmosphere and using it as a nutrient to promote growth Continue reading
Introduction: Over the past five weeks, my team and I conducted research on pollutants in local San Diego waterways. More specifically, we were testing for the concentrations of PFAS molecules in the sediments (basically dirt that is underwater). PFAS stands Continue reading
Introduction Phytoplankton are components of the plankton community and an integral part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. They provide over 50% of our annual oxygen supply. Not only that, they also provide the foundation for marine life. They are the Continue reading
Over the past month, my team and I conducted research on the amount of air pollution produced by both cigarettes and cigarillos, a type of cigar. Specifically, we aimed to test the amount of PM 2.5 produced. PM stands for Continue reading
