Air Pollution and the Energy Industry in China

Professor David Y.H. Pui, from the University of Minnesota, will speak on "China: Sources, Effects, Mitigation, and Its Impact on China: Sources, Effects, Mitigation, and Its Impact on Energy Industry", in the Ian Ross Seminar Room, Ian Ross Building, at the Australian National University in Canberra, 2pm, 6 February 2014.


ABSTRACT:
PM2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 Am) was established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1997 as the standard method for sampling fine particles, because of concern over the health effects of fine particles in the ambient environment. The Particle Technology Laboratory (PTL) has developed many instruments and samplers to perform atmospheric measurements, which helped to establish the PM2.5 standard. The effects of PM2.5 pollutants on the atmospheric visibility and human health will be addressed. PM2.5 sources in China have been identified to come from pollutants from coal burning (approx. 40%) and from vehicle emissions (approx. 25%). The strategy for pollution control must be based on reducing the pollutants from these two primary sources. Filtration is one of the principal means to control PM2.5 pollutants. Baghouse filters are used to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants and Diesel and Gasoline Particulate Filters (DPF and GPF) are used to reduce vehicle emissions. The PM2.5 impact, both short-term and long-term, to the energy industry will also be addressed. An integrative approach, from collaboration among academia, government, and industries, can effectively manage and mitigate the PM2.5 pollutants in China.
BIO:
David Y. H. Pui, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor, is the L.M. Fingerson/TSI Inc Chair in Mechanical Engineering and the Director of the Particle Technology Laboratory and of the Center for Filtration Research, University of Minnesota. He has a broad range of research experience in aerosol science and technology and has over 230 journal papers and 22 patents. He has developed/co-developed several widely used commercial aerosol instruments. Dr. Pui is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and has received many awards, including the Max Planck Research Award (1993), the Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists (2000), the Fuchs Memorial Award (2010)--the highest disciplinary award conferred jointly by the American, German and Japanese Aerosol Associations, and the Einstein Professorship Award (2013) by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was a past President of the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) and of the International Aerosol Research Assembly (IARA) consisting of 16 international aerosol associations.