A healthy environment is central to a healthy life. Globally, nearly 25 percent of all deaths and the total disease burden can be attributed to environmental factors according to the World Health Organization (WHO).<br/>Engaging the population in sustainable urbanization is a powerful approach which could transform the environmental management of urban ecosystems. Indeed, a growing number of individuals and communities are participating in the collection of environmental data using low cost monitoring devices or cell-phone based sensors. However, despite the increasing public awareness and participation, a comprehensive surveillance network has yet to be developed. A unique feature of the urban environment is the potential exposure of urban population to the air hundreds of feet above the ground. The monitoring of air quality at different altitude therefore, has to be a critical component of the urban environmental management. Recently, we joined a UT Austin initiative to engage university communities in the collection and analysis of environmental samples worldwide and develop an interactive mapping platform for the public to access environmental data. We employed the wetted wall cyclone bio - nanoaerosol collector and a novel air sampler, the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS Hexacopter), for high volume aerosol sampling and detection. Aerosol and water collection was conducted at different locations around the TAMU campus, including the air-conditioning condensation water cooling tower, the wastewater treatment facility, the veterinary hospital effluent pond and the recreational campus golf course creek. The samples were analyzed for representative biological and chemical pollutants and evaluated in principal coordinates analysis to delineate the correlations between the different air-water-energy sources and the environment. The collected microbiomes were delineated by Illumina sequencing to identify existing and emerging pathogens and track bacteria with antimicrobial resistance that could lead to potentially harmful human exposure.

Air-water-energy-environment nexus in TAMUMAP: A campus collaborative for urban health

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.