Air quality to be studied at new research facility

Toronto, ON – A new centre for studying air quality recently opened at the University of Toronto. Called Southern Ontario Centre for Atmospheric Aerosol Research (SOCAAR), the centre is an interdisciplinary focal point for research into poor air quality and its effect on human health and the environment.

The centre brings together researchers from chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, chemistry in the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Medicine. Their work aims to understand how aerosols enter the atmosphere, their derivation, how they are transformed and how they can affect a person’s well-being.

“We are anticipating close interaction between our graduate students with the principle investigators,” says Dr Greg Evans, the centre’s director. “This will allow us to look more closely at topics between our research areas and begin new projects that overlap on our existing strengths.”

The centre was established through $3 million in funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Ontario Innovation Trust, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and a consortium of other academic, government and corporate partners.