AirUCI faculty Jun Wu and her and team have published their recent study which found that a cohort of mothers in Southern California who were exposed to higher temperature during the postpartum period was associated with an increased risk for postpartum depression. Exposure to extreme heat has been shown to impact mental health, but there are few studies into the relationship between high-temperature exposure and mental health among pregnant women and no past study explored its impact on postpartum maternal mental health. "Our finding builds upon our team's previous work connecting long-term exposure to air pollution and the increased risk for PPD," says Jun. Read the article
News
Here's the latest news from AirUCI — our events, our people, our science.
2024
Friday, November 22, 2024
AirUCI faculty Sarah Finkeldei has been named one of the American Nuclear Society’s inaugural 40 under 40 list. The honor recognizes Sarah’s contributions to nuclear energy research and education outreach. Read the article
Friday, November 22, 2024
In a November 22nd article in Newsweek, AirUCI faculty Jim Smith is quoted on recent AirUCI studies showing that tiny brake and tire particles have substatial effects on human health. "Some studies have shown that brake particles have a similar effect on lung inflammation as diesel and wood combustion particles," said Jim. "Given their rising dominance, potential health impacts and implications on environmental justice, it's imperative that we control the emissions of these particles at the source," he said. These studies have prompted Mercedes Benz to revolutionize how cars brake, changes that would have sustainability and health benefits if introduced into production. Read the article
Thursday, November 14, 2024
A November 14th article in Medical Express profiled a new study led by AirUCI faculty Jun Wu and AirUCI grad student Anqi Jiao. Their research found that exposure to fine particulate matter during pregnancy significantly increases the odds of spontaneous preterm birth, a major threat to maternal and fetal health. They collaborated with researchers at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California and other institutions to publish their findings in JAMA Network Open which adds evidence that low-income communities are most affected. Read the artcile.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
A new study by AirUCI Co-Director Sergey Nizkorodov is profiled in The Brighter Side News and lends some positive news for Earth's atmosphere. He has identified a mechanism where the atmosphere can clean itself, finding that even in darkness, water droplets can spontaneously produce hydroxyl radicals (OH), a molecule vital for breaking down pollutants. "The measured OH production rates in the dark were comparable to or even exceeded those driven by sunlight," said Sergey. Read the article
Friday, November 8, 2024
A new study led by AirUCI faculty Jim Randerson and his team has found that the severity of California’s wildfires has rapidly increased over the last several decades as a result of human-driven climate change, resulting in accelerated tree losses during more intense wildfires. “When fire moves over a forest’s floor, often the tree canopy will survive and, in some situations, thrive from fire effects on nutrient cycling,” said Jim. “The new research suggests more fire is jumping into the tree crowns, causing more damage and tree mortality.” Read the article
Thursday, October 24, 2024
An October 24th article on Drugs.com discusses a new study by AirUCI faculty Mike Kleinman that links inhaled nicotine to impaired heart function. The study assessed whether the novel intrinsic frequency (IF) metrics derived from carotid pressure waveforms can detect effects of nicotine (from chronic exposure to electronic cigarette vapor or traditional cigarette smoke) on the cardiovascular system. "Our results support the growing call for public health policies aimed at reducing exposure to inhaled nicotine and to new synthetic nicotine products not yet on the market," said MIke. Read the article
Saturday, October 19, 2024
AirUCI co-Director Sergey Nizkorodov was one of two invited Keynote Speakers at the 7th International Workshop on Heterogeneous Kinetics Related to Atmospheric Aerosols, held from October 18-20 in Qingdao, China. His talk was entitled “Rates and mechanisms of photochemical reactions in organic aerosol particles”. The other Keynote Speaker was longtime AirUCI collaborator Markus Amman of the Paul Scherrer Institut.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
AirUCI's Barbara Barletta, research specialist in the Blake group, let a tour of their lab for dignitaries from Mexico’s Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo who were visiting UCI. The purpose of their trip was to identify areas of common academic and research interest between the two institutions, and a highlight was a visit to the lab where Sherry Rowland and his Mexico-born grad student Mario Molina conducted their Nobel Prize winning research. Read the story.
Monday, October 7, 2024
In an October 7th article on WebMD, AirUCI faculty Andrea de Vizcaya Ruiz is quoted on tips for cleaner indoor air. According to Andrea, home items are the main culprits, including furniture, gas stoves, cleaning products, paints, and carpets. Using the range hood and kitchen exhaust fan, opening windows, and maintaining HVAC systems can help, as can air purifiers and dehumidifiers. More tips are available in the article.
