Sorooshian Leading $1.2M Ozone Research Grant

The Arizona Board of Regents has provided more than $2.5 million in funding to a multi-university team to investigate the state of ozone in Arizona. CHEE professor Armin Sorooshian is leading the University of Arizona portion of the grant, which totals $1,271,877. 

Ozone, a gas made of three oxygen atoms, is highly reactive, which can be either good or bad, depending on the environment. High up in the stratosphere, ozone forms when oxygen interacts with ultraviolet radiation. This reaction creates the ozone layer we all know and love for reducing the amount of radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. 

Ozone is known to be dangerous to human health, so reducing their levels near the planet’s surface is becoming increasingly important. This gas is also known to be an especially prevalent problem in Arizona. The American Lung Association’s 2022 State of the Air Report ranked the Phoenix metro area as the fifth most polluted city in the country in terms of ozone levels. Pima County also received an F grade in the report’s ozone category for having too many “unhealthy air days” in which the county didn’t meet the national Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone – 70 parts per billion measured over eight hours.

“There is growing recognition of the importance of better understanding Earth’s atmosphere and the constituents that can impact public welfare, weather and climate,” Sorooshian said. “University research is key to improving understanding of how to reduce concentrations of harmful pollutants like ozone. Furthermore, by collaborating with different Arizona universities on solving these tough problems, we can generate a greater impact.”