Honors Theses

Date of Award

Spring 4-21-2022

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Biomolecular Sciences

First Advisor

Courtney Roper

Second Advisor

John Wiginton

Third Advisor

Deborah Gochfeld

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

Black Carbon, which is a component of fine particulate matter, is a known pollutant that has been linked to the development of several diseases including cardiovascular disease. This pollutant can be measured by taking samples of air within a certain region and analyzing them using a transmissometer. It is known that black carbon concentrations tend to be higher in urban areas when compared to rural areas within a region. Black carbon concentrations can also vary depending on certain meteorological parameters such as temperature and humidity. There were no current studies that analyze the air quality in northern Mississippi due to samplers being located densely in the southern portion of the state. Our study sought to determine black carbon concentrations present in fine particulate matter throughout an entire calendar year and compare these concentrations at two locations in Northern Mississippi. We analyzed samples from a location on the University of Mississippi campus and in a more rural, wooded area in Abbeville, Mississippi. We also collected meteorological data at both locations and compared these data to the black carbon concentrations at each location to determine any possible correlations. Our results indicated that the concentration of black carbon was higher at Anderson Hall than the Field Station, and black carbon concentrations were higher across both locations during the winter months. There was also a slight negative correlation between black carbon concentrations and the relative humidity at each location. Overall this study provided information about air quality in Northern Mississippi and highlighted differences in concentration between seasons and locations

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Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License
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