Civil and Environmental Engineering
Understanding the Sources of Atmospheric Organic
Aerosols
Organic aerosols are a major component of atmospheric particulates, both in terms of mass and number. These aerosols adversely affect human health and play a role in the changing climate, yet the mechanisms leading to their presence are not fully understood. Dr. VanReken’s research focuses largely on the formation and aging processes of secondary organic aerosol (SOA), particularly from biogenic sources. SOA forms when organic compounds are emitted in the gas phase and subsequently react to form less volatile products, which condense into the particulate phase. In many parts of the world, including the northern and southeastern United States, biogenic SOA is the major contributor to aerosol mass.
Despite its importance in the atmosphere, our current understanding of SOA formation processes is insufficient to predict even the amount of aerosol material produced under ambient conditions, much less its physical and chemical properties. To address some of the outstanding questions, Dr. VanReken performs laboratory experiments in an aerosol growth chamber to determine what preconditions are required to initiate the formation of biogenic SOA and to characterize the aerosol population for the several hours immediately following the formation event. Unlike other similar studies, his experiments use emissions directly from plant specimens as the source of organic material, and he has thereby been able to more realistically replicate the complexity of aerosol formation processes in the natural atmosphere. These laboratory studies are complemented by extensive experience and an ongoing commitment to field observations.
Dr. VanReken is part of Washington State University’s Laboratory for Atmospheric Research (LAR). LAR is a multi-disciplinary group specializing in air quality education and research, with particular expertise in biosphere/atmosphere interactions and regional air quality measurements and modeling.
Contact Information
Timothy VanReken, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Washington State University
P.O. Box 642910
Pullman, WA 99164-2910
Telephone: 509-335-2576
E-mail: vanreken@wsu.edu
Environmental and Natural Resources
- Emmett P. Fiske
- Richard Gill
- John Harrison
- Brian N. Tissot
- Timothy VanReken
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is an assistant professor with the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Washington State University. He received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, where his thesis research focused on field measurements of atmospheric cloud condensation nuclei, and continued his training with the Advanced Study Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research. His current research focuses primarily on understanding the formation of secondary organic aerosol, from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources. He is the lead author on several publications, including Cloud condensation nucleus activation properties of biogenic secondary organic aerosol and Direct measurement of particle formation and growth from the oxidation of biogenic emissions. |
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