Air Quality

A massive research and education effort on energy and environmental issues led by CU Boulder engineering faculty is ending after a five-year run with significant results relevant to Colorado’s growing energy industry.

You may have noticed that the air quality in parts of Colorado has been worse than usual for the past few days. Wildfires burning across the U.S. (although notably not in Colorado) have caused smokey skies of late. This far-flung smoke highlights how pollution in one area isn’t limited to...

Humans spend about 90 percent of our lives inside, so it’s time we analyzed what we’re breathing while we’re there. “There has been a huge gap between the research done indoors and out,” said Marina Vance, a professor in the mechanical engineering department. “When you think of the news and...

Wyoming and Colorado are in the top ten natural gas producing states. But in those states – and across the country – a lot of that gas is escaping straight into the air. Scientists are now working to come up with a better way to track those leaks down. In...

Marina Vance HOMEChem field experiment seeks to understand how daily activities impact the home environment In the United States, as well as in most of the developed world, people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors. In homes, workplaces, schools and every indoor environment, we are impacted by the...

Study indicates challenges of meeting ozone goals After decades of progress in cleaning up air quality, U.S. improvements for two key air pollutants have slowed significantly in recent years, new research concludes. The unexpected finding indicates that it may be more difficult than previously realized for the nation to achieve...

Congratulations to mechanical engineering assistant professor Marina Vance for being honored with an Outstanding Young Alumni by her alma mater, Virginia Tech. The VA Tech Academy of Distinguished Alumni recognizes alumni of the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for their accomplishments and commitment to the...

Update April 12: How Detecting Methane Leaks Could Turn Into Big Business : Greg Rieker and Caroline Alden discuss the new technology on Colorado Public Radio. Listen here University of Colorado, CIRES, NOAA and NIST team harnesses Nobel Prize technology to detect distant gas leaks A new field instrument developed...

Marina Vance , an assistant professor in Mechanical Engineering and core faculty of the Environmental Engineering program at the University of Colorado Boulder has been awarded a $1.25 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study the chemistry of indoor environments, where people spend at least 90% of...

When an infectious airborne illness strikes, some hospitals use negative pressure rooms to isolate and treat patients. These rooms use ventilation controls to keep germ-filled air contained rather than letting it circulate throughout the hospital. But, in the event of an epidemic, these rooms can quickly fill up. Now, a...