Methane and VOC Monitoring of Oil-Drilling in LA Communities
Project Members
- Michael Hannigan (PhD, UCB)
- Ashley Collier (graduate student, UCB)
- Evan Coffey (Staff, Mechanical Engineering)
- Kira Sadighi (graduate student, UCB)
- Kristen Okorn (graduate student, UCB)
- Caroline Frischmon (graduate student, UCB)
Detailed Summary
Project Dates: Spring 2016 - Present
We are supporting the use of our monitors and working to improve both methane and total non-methane hydrocarbon quantification in communities in Los Angeles, CA. These communities have a high population density and a fairly large amount of oil and gas activity in close proximity to homes, schools, and businesses. Environmental justice concerns arise in these communities due to higher occurrences of pollution-related health problems. The communities we work with would like a better understanding of potential emissions from these oil and gas operations, including their frequency and magnitude, to take more informed steps to protect their health. Our main research challenges involve sensor sensitivity to VOCs, sensor signal normalization, and speciated source apportionment.
Other Partners
- Richard Parks and Redeemer Community Partnership
- Jill Johnston (PhD, University of Southern California)
- Sue Chiang (MPH, Centers for Environmental Health)
- Bhavna Shamasunder (PhD, Occidental College)
Project Funding
- NSF-SRN AirWaterGas Project
- NIH LAS VOCES Project