Smoke from Canadian wildfires repeatedly blanketed parts of the United States over the course of June, creating hazardous conditions for millions of Americans. At one point, Chicago and other regions in the Midwest ranked as the worst air quality in the world, according to the global pollution index.
Air pollution, which Canadian officials say they expect to continue throughout the summer as the nation deals with its worst wildfire season in history, is one of many new challenges brought on or worsened by climate change.
Researchers at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) at the University of Chicago are working to address a myriad of global challenges around energy and sustainability as humans adapt to a changing climate, including enhanced sensor networks, development of sustainable fuels, and advancing clean energy through better supply chains.
A tool for monitoring a shifting climate
The goal of Prof. Supratik Guha is to create a sensor network that monitors the air, soil, and water for pollution and nutrient content.
Guha and his team are developing “wireless sensor networks”—sensor arrays that surveil acre-wide swathes of land and water to track pollution, moisture levels, and chemical composition. These systems, Guha believes, will unlock sorely needed data on the planet’s rapidly shifting composition.
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This story was first published by the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.
