Contact Information
General Enquiry
| Fax: | +(852)-3442-0688 |
|---|---|
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Address: | G5703, 5/F, Yeung Kin Man Academic Building (YEUNG), City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR |
https://cityu.zoom.us/j/95299515591
Meeting ID: 952 9951 5591
Password: 064310
Indoor air quality is as important as outdoor air quality, but it is less well understood. While the effects of emissions (e.g., from building materials) and intrusion of outdoor air have been studied for decades, the role of chemistry in indoor air composition and quality is less well-studied. Oxidation reactions drive chemistry in the outdoor atmosphere and largely control its composition. Indoors, oxidant levels are generally expected to be lower, leading to fewer chemical transformations. However, indoor oxidant levels can change dramatically due to human activities such as cooking, cleaning, and even opening windows. Our group has combined field measurements, chamber studies, and modelling to characterize the oxidizing capacity in residential and non-residential buildings. We have focused on the role of occupant activities on indoor air composition, with a recent emphasis on the effects of sanitizing and disinfecting surfaces. In this talk I will discuss the conditions under which oxidation reactions are likely to be important indoors, and will highlight recent work from our group on the effects of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces on air composition in homes and non-residential buildings.
Dr. Tara Kahan received a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of Regina, and a PhD in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Toronto. Following postdoctoral fellowships at the University of California Irvine (with John Hemminger) and the University of Colorado Boulder (with Veronica Vaida), Dr. Kahan became an assistant professor in chemistry at Syracuse University in 2012. In 2018, Dr. Kahan accepted a position of associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan, where she is currently a Canada Research Chair in Environmental Analytical Chemistry. Her research interests include chemistry at ice surfaces, aquatic chemistry, chemistry at urban surfaces, and indoor chemistry.