ABSTRACT

Ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollution is the top environmental risk factor worldwide. Although there is abundant evidence that PM exposure is associated with many adverse health outcomes, our understanding of the relative toxicity of PM types - particle mixtures having different size distributions and compositions - is relatively poor. Part of the reason is that in-situ PM monitors - especially those capable of measuring chemical speciation - are sparsely distributed and non-existent in many parts of the world. Satellite observations offer a means of filling these data gaps. Measurements from MISR and MODIS on Terra have been used in numerous studies of PM-related health effects, and the upcoming NASA-ASI MAIA mission will use multiangular, multispectral, and polarimetric remote sensing to retrieve column aerosol abundances and particle properties. However, surface monitors are needed to calibrate the transformations to near-surface total and speciated PM concentrations. Although MAIA launch is not expected until 2025, the project has deployed and currently operates PM sensors in a variety of locations around the world. This record has already provided new insights into the spatial distribution and temporal variability of PM pollution in under-represented areas. As we learn more about which PM constituents pose the greatest health risks, systematic monitoring should extend beyond the currently regulated particle classes (PM2.5 and PM10) and potentially include ultrafine particles, dust, black carbon, and other chemical components. Meeting this objective will need technological innovation both to advance in-situ instrument capabilities and to maximize the information return from remote sensing. The deleterious health impacts of ambient PM merit further sharpening of NASA's focus on this major societal concern.

About the Speaker:

David Diner received his bachelor's degree from SUNY Stony Brook and his master's and doctoral degrees from Caltech. He is a Senior Research Scientist at JPL, where he has been an employee for 43 years. Dave is PI of the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument, which has been flying in Earth orbit aboard NASA's Terra satellite since 1999, and the NASA PI of the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols (MAIA) investigation, currently in development. He is a recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership and Exceptional Achievement medals.