Marwa Hassan thinks it’s time to clear the air.
Hassan is a construction management and industrial engineering assistant professor who’s been working on that very issue for more than two years.
Hassan said her research is centered on titanium dioxide, a compound found in everyday things like paint, sunscreen and food coloring.
She said it’s been discovered that titanium dioxide is photocatalytic, meaning it takes energy from the sun and speeds up the decomposition of pollutants.
Hassan said her research began with one specific question: “Can we create photocatalytic pavements?”
She said much time and money are spent trying to defend the planet against vehicle emissions, and this technology could aid in the fight.
“The defense mechanism is the road itself,” Hassan said.
Hassan said if the compound proves to be effective and efficient, she’d like to see it used on high-traffic roads in the area.
She said it would likely be used in high-traffic areas. And Hassan said the compound may correct other problems on the road.
“Even if you have diesel oil spills, it will decompose that,” she said.
Hassan explained her team is testing the compound on two roads on campus — Aster Street and the section of road that runs between the Student Union and the Parade Ground.
She said the roads were sprayed with the compound Dec. 20, and the team has been monitoring conditions since spraying.
Hassan said it’s important to test both streets because they’re made of different materials — Aster Street is covered with asphalt, and the road near the Union is concrete.
She said the team placed two speed bumps on the road in front of the Union to cover equipment that helps them monitor pollutants on the road.
A rubber hose on the ground keeps track of the amount of traffic on the street.
The team stores equipment in a small trailer that is moved back and forth from the Union to Aster Street.
Heather Dylla, construction management and industrial engineering doctoral student and a member of Hassan’s team, said she visits the trailer frequently to monitor the study’s progress.
Dylla explained everything in the trailer is an important part of the team’s research, including the weather station on its roof.
“We can tell if the reaction is dependant on humidity,” she said.
A bucket on the roof collects rainwater and indicates if there is too much water accumulating on the ground.
“It needs water to work, but too much can reduce the number of pollutants adhering to the pavement,” she said.
Dylla said it’s important to place equipment that monitors pollution at ground level, accessing the proper air conditions.
But the speed bumps the team put in place in front of the Union have been problematic because of the amount of traffic the road sees, she said.
“Facility Services has to come out here and nail these back down daily,” she said.
Hassan said she plans to monitor the two sites for a year and will decide where to go from there.
She said the study, which is being funded through the Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency, will cost approximately $75,000 to conduct, not including the cost of materials and equipment.
“I could see it being used in the future as a method for controlling air pollution in urban areas,” Hassan said.
Jullian Scarborough, psychology junior, said she believes anything environmentally friendly is worth supporting.
“It’ll help our children in the long run,” she said.
 
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]