As summer wildfire smoke choked Baltimore, UMBC air pollution researchers leapt into action

Starting this May, a series of wildfires in Eastern Canada sent enormous smoke clouds wafting into the U.S., triggering air quality warnings in cities from the Midwest to the Northeast. For days, orange skies backdropped landscapes clouded by acrid air. People who could hunkered inside with the doors and windows shut. Those who had to go out faced itchy eyes, burning throats, and worse.

As a resident of the Baltimore area—which was blanketed with particularly bad smoke in both early and late June—UMBC Professor Chris Hennigan looked at the haze with dismay. But as an environmental engineer who studies air pollution, he had an additional thought: “We were looking at the air quality forecasts, and we thought ‘We have to gather data,’” he says.

The public found many colorful words to describe the summer’s unwanted smoke: brutal, eerie, dystopian.

Hennigan and his team have been working to put numbers to the adjectives. On the roof of the engineering building, the researchers installed a squat, white sensor that monitors the levels of tiny particles in the air, particularly those measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less—smaller than most bacteria. Called PM_2.5, these particles are released in large numbers during fires. They are dangerous to human health because they can work their way into the deepest parts of the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.

The sensor showed huge spikes in PM_2.5 when the smoke blew through, on some days reaching levels considered unhealthy for anyone to breathe.

The researchers also set up equipment to filter particles out of the air. After 24 hours, they collected the filters, which they are storing, neatly labeled, in a refrigerator in Hennigan’s lab.

The filtered samples will advance at least two ongoing investigations, Hennigan says. In one avenue of inquiry, Joel Tyson, Ph.D. ’23, biochemical engineering, is studying how tiny particles can harm human lung cells. Before this year’s smoky summer, Tyson had been studying the toxic effects of particulate matter normally found in the Baltimore air. With the new smoke samples, he will start to investigate whether wildfire smoke particles, per unit, are more toxic than regular urban particulate matter, which comes from sources such as cars and power plants. Some studies have indicated that wildfire particulate matter is indeed more toxic, but more research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be reached.

In another line of research, Hennigan is also studying how particles in the air, including from smoke, may affect the climate. Undergraduate chemical engineering students Danielle Larios ’25 and Luis Rodriguez ’25 are assisting in the investigations.

The researchers study how particles of brown-colored carbon-containing material absorb light. Burning vegetation sends large amounts of this brown carbon into the atmosphere. It’s possible that the particles are trapping significant heat from the sun, accelerating the pace of planetary warming. Such effects are not normally included in global climate models, and better understanding of the process could improve humanity’s ability to predict, and manage, the coming years of climate upheaval.

Climate change and wildfires are intimately linked. This summer was not only smoky, but also scorching. July marked the hottest month ever recorded, and scientists predict that as the world continues to warm, wildfires will continue to increase in quantity and intensity. “Smokeageddon,” as headlines put it, may become the new normal.

Hennigan says recent research illuminates how much wildfire smoke has contributed to air pollution trends. He points to a paper published in September in the scientific journal Nature that estimated that since 2016, wildfire smoke in the contiguous United States has undone around 25% of the progress in air quality made between 2000 and 2016.

For the researchers in Hennigan’s lab, those effects have been felt personally. 

Rodriguez recalled how in June he had to go out to buy a fresh pack of N95 masks. “The smoke was just awful,” he says. Larios says she felt a burning at the back of her throat in just 15 minutes walking to her car.

For Tyson, the effects of the smoke were so bad that at one point he struggled to breathe and had to visit the doctor. The episode, he says, drove home the importance of his toxicology research.

All three note both the complexity of the systems they are studying and the importance of discovering new knowledge that might help society handle the environmental challenges it faces.

“Our work can have real-world impact, and that’s exciting,” says Larios.

Nicholas Schmidt, '24 Chemical Engineering - Traditional Track

When did you do your Research?

Summer 2023

Where was your Research?

Dr. Singh's lab, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMBC.

What is the focus of your Research?

Solid crystal optical properties

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research? 

I am looking forward to attending and presenting a research poster at The Material Science and Technology conference during the first week of October. This should be a really good opportunity to see research going on across the country and to gain speaking experience in an academic setting.

What was the best part of your Research?

My favorite part about doing research was gaining hands-on experience with research equipment as well as working collaboratively with undergrads and grad students in the. 

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

My advice is to ask around about opportunities -- talk to people -- especially your professors and your classmates who are already involved in research. You won't always get internships or research directly from the people you ask, but they might know of someone who has an opening or know of an opportunity.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

Navy ROTC, Tau Beta Pi

What are your goals after graduation?

After graduation, I will be commissioning into the US Navy, hopefully to become a submarine officer and learn about nuclear power. 

Learn more about Nicholas Schmidt: 

www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-schmidt-111b56265

Meet a CBEE-er! Jasmine Ives, is a Chemical Engineering major on the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability track. Hear about why she chose UMBC, what research she is involved with, and what she loves about the chemical engineering program.

To learn more about undergraduate programs in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/prospective-undergrads/

Watch all CBEE-er Profiles

John Velkey, 
'24 Chemical Engineering - traditional track, Mathematics minor

Where was your Research?

ATOMS lab with Dr. Josephson

When did you start your Research?

January 2023

What is the focus of your Research?

Writing programs in Lean 4 that perform scientific calculations, and have verifiable mathematics

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research? 

Opportunities to present research to broader audiences at conferences

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?

I have really enjoyed the process of learning a new programming language.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

Apply early and often, and tailor applications to individual opportunities. 

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

I am a teaching fellow for ENCH 300 - Chemical Process Thermodynamics.

What are your goals after graduation?

I am looking forward to getting into the workforce and taking a bit of a break from school, (for now)

Learn more about John Velkey: 

@_Velkey on X (FKA Twitter), LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-velkey

Meet a CBEE-er! Joshua Dayie is a Chemical Engineering major on the Biotechnology and Bioengineering track. Hear about why he chose UMBC, what research he's working on, and what he loves about the chemical engineering program!

"There [are] really great mentors that guide you through every single step of the way and help you feel prepared every single semester that you’re here." - Joshua Dayie

To learn more about Undergraduate Program in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/prospective-undergrads/

Watch all CBEE-er Profiles

Meet a CBEE-er! Meredith Morse is a Chemical Engineering major on the Biotechnology and Bioengineering track. Hear about why she chose UMBC, what research she's working on, and what she loves about the chemical engineering program!

"The professors really make themselves approachable and it’s given a lot of opportunities for me to connect with them and find mentors" - Meredith Morse

To learn more about Undergraduate Program in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/prospective-undergrads/

Watch all CBEE-er Profiles

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A closing chapter and a new beginning

CHECK meetings are group sessions for pre-chemical engineering students led by a CBEE faculty member.

These meetings supplement the one-on-one advising session with a COEIT Advisor to receive advising clearance. They are not a replacement for the one on one advising session.

During the CHECK meeting students will :

• connect about important topics regarding course selection and curriculum requirements specific to Chemical Engineering
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Terra Miley, 
'25 Chemical Engineering - biotechnology & bioengineering track, Minor: Entrepreneurship

When did you do your Research?

Center for Advanced Sensor Technology with Dr. Govind Rao at UMBC

What is the focus of your Research?

The focus of my research is fluorescent sensor technology and developing genetically encoded sensors to be used in Cell-Free Bioreactors.

What do you enjoy the most about your Research? 

I am surrounded by extremely intelligent engineers and researchers from whom I have the privilege to learn so much from. I am specifically looking forward to working with my mentors, Chad Sundberg Ph.D. student and Dr. Govind Rao, to become a better researcher as well as advancing in my project.

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?

The best part of my research experience are the small wins and discoveries that are made in the lab each and everyday. Through working with others, it is amazing to see what can happen when multiple different people approach a problem. I have been able to apply what I learn in my classes to my research project. I have been able to learn so much from others, and I look forward to continuing to learn and apply our research to solve real-world problems.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

My advice is to not hesitate to reach out to research labs or internships that you are interested in. Reach out early and do research ahead of time to learn about the research done in the lab.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

I am the Secretary and Communications Conference Chair for the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as well as the Panhellenic Delegate and Historian for Phi Mu, Phi Gamma Chapter. I was also a teaching fellow for ENCH 215, Chemical Engineering Analysis, during the summer.

What are your goals after graduation?

After graduation I plan to continue my education in graduate school, to hopefully pursue my Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

Learn more about Terra Miley: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/terra-miley-690885268

Emily Bolt,
'24 Chemical Engineering - traditional track, Minor: Entrepreneurship and Innovation

When did you do your Internship?

June 2023

Where was your Internship?

Clene Nanomedicine in North East, Maryland

What is the focus of your Internship?

I evaluated the amount of the edible gold nanoparticle medication in samples. The medication is intended to reduce the symptoms of Parkinson's, ALS, and MS.

What are you looking forward to the most about your Internship? 

I had prior experience as a Federal Employee for a Federal Contractor. Working at Celene allowed me to expand my experience. I was inspired to work at Celene, a small pharmaceutical company, because they focus on developing medications for diseases that are frequently underfunded and aim to treat conditions like Parkinson's, ALS, MS, and many more. 

What was the best part of your Internship OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Internship ?

The highlight of my internship was when a drug trial participant found out they were likely to be examined by the FDA and they sent a heartfelt email promising to do anything they could to support Clene Nanomedicine. The treatment they received as a drug trial participant was life changing for them. 

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

My advice would be to diversify the applications to help find what is best for you, even if you think you might not be eligible for some jobs. As a chemical engineering major I even applied to roles for electrical engineering at NASA and got an interview. I got interviews for positions I applied to mechanical engineering roles, process control roles, safety roles. Applying to various positions allowed me to explore all the options and select the position that was the best fit for me.

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

UMBC Crafters: Founder and President

What are your goals after graduation?

I plan to work in the industry after graduation. I am still deciding if I want to pursue a graduate degree.