Textbook and Prerequisites

• Aerosol Technology: Properties, Behavior, and Measurement of Airborne Particles, 2nd Edition- William C. Hinds , John C Wiley and Sons, New York, 1999

• All class notes will be distributed and uploaded on Blackboard

Grading Criteria:

Class participation: 10%

Homeworks: 30%

Midterm (open book): 30%

Project : 30%

Description and Assessment of Assignments

We will have 4 homeworks in the first 9 weeks of the semester. Each homework will consist of problems from William Hind’s textbook

Assignment Submission Policy

Each homework will be due in roughly two weeks since the date that it is assigned. The first homework will be assigned during week 2.

Grading Timeline

Homeworks will be graded and returned to the students within a week since the due date

Additional Policies

The midterm will be an open book exam. Students can bring their textbook ,class notes and a calculator. The use of laptops , smartphones etc is not allowed in the midterm. Paper sheets will be provided by the TA who will be proctoring the exam

Course Content

Course Schedule: Weekly Breakdown

Week 1- Introduction and Basic Properties of Particulate Pollutants- Hinds Chapters 1-2

This part includes a description of air pollutants, and an overview of exposure and risk assessment. The specific topics include:

• Introduction to Particulate Air Pollution

• Relevance: PM & Health Effects

• Aerosol concentrations and sizes

• Aerosol effect on visibility and climate change

Weeks 2-3. Particle Mechanics - Hinds Chapters 3 and 5

• Particle motion (uniform and curvilinear)

• Stokes regime flow

• Particles in an External Field

• Relaxation time, particle mobility and stopping distance

• Design of Instruments based on particle mechanics: impactors, virtual impactors, cyclones

Week 3. Particle Statistics - Hinds Chapter 4

• Particle Size distributions

• Frequency functions

• Normal and Log Normal distributions

• Aerosol distribution means and standard deviations calculations

Week 4. Brownian Motion and Diffusion - Hinds Chapter 7

• The primary transport mechanism for smaller (ultrafine, <0.1 um) particles

• Fick’s law

• Brownian displacement and Fick’s 2^nd law of diffusion

• Deposition by diffusion

• Diffusion batteries and denuders

• Turbulent diffusion

Week 5. Thermophoresis - Hinds Chapter 8

These forces arise from asymmetrical interactions between particles and surrounding gas molecules in a temperature gradient

• Thermophoretic velocity

• Thermal precipitators

Week 6. Particle Coagulation - Hinds Chapter 12

A process by which particles collide with one another due to the relative motion between them and adhere to form agglomerate particles:

• Thermal coagulation- due to Brownian motion

• Kinematic agglomeration- due to external forces (i.e. gravity, electrostatic, aerodynamic effects)

• Sintering

• Monodisperse and Polydisperse Coagulation

• Kinematic coagulation

• Turbulent coagulation

Week 7. Respiratory Deposition - Hinds Chapter 11

• Respiratory deposition vs. particle size

• Estimates of inhaled dose

• Particle deposition mechanisms in respiratory track

• Respirable Mass Sampling

• Deposition of gases inside respiratory tract

Week 8. Particle Condensation and Evaporation - Hinds Chapter 13

• Saturation vapor pressure

• Semivolatile aerosols

• Particle formation by condensation

• Nucleation

• Evaporation

Week 9. Electrical Properties of Aerosols – Hinds Chapter 15

• Particle charge and Coulombic force

• Particle electrical mobility

• Aerosol Charging Mechanisms

• Electrostatic Precipitators

• Aerosol characterization instruments based on electrical mobility

Week 10. Midterm – open book

Week 11. Introduction to the Class Project

• Presentation of basic objectives

• Discussion on linkages to course material (including upcoming lectures)

Week 12. Optical Properties of Aerosols - Hinds Chapter 16

• Light scattering and absorption by particles

• Particle extinction coefficient

• Light extinction, visibility and visual range

• Optical particle measurement methods

Week 13. Interim student group report on project

Week 14. Particle Filtration Hinds Chapter 11

• Particle filters

• Filtration mechanisms

• Single fiber efficiency calculations

• Filter design

• Electrostatic filtration

Week 15. Final Project presentations by student groups

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

 

Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

Academic Conduct:

Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” https://policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b/.  Other forms of academic dishonesty are equally unacceptable.  See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct, http://policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

 

Support Systems:

Student Counseling Services (SCS) - (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call

Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress fitness workshops, and crisis intervention. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

Provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 - 24/7 on call

Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm. https://engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp/

Sexual Assault Resource Center

For more information about how to get help or help a survivor, rights, reporting options, and additional resources, visit the website: http://sarc.usc.edu/

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED)/Title IX Compliance – (213) 740-5086

Works with faculty, staff, visitors, applicants, and students around issues of protected class. https://equity.usc.edu/

Bias Assessment Response and Support

Incidents of bias, hate crimes and microaggressions need to be reported allowing for appropriate investigation and response. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support/

The Office of Disability Services and Programs

Provides certification for students with disabilities and helps arrange relevant accommodations. http://dsp.usc.edu

Student Support and Advocacy – (213) 821-4710

Assists students and families in resolving complex issues adversely affecting their success as a student EX: personal, financial, and academic. https://studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa/

Diversity at USC

Information on events, programs and training, the Diversity Task Force (including representatives for each school), chronology, participation, and various resources for students. https://diversity.usc.edu/

USC Emergency Information

Provides safety and other updates, including ways in which instruction will be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible, http://emergency.usc.edu

USC Department of Public Safety – 213-740-4321 (UPC) and 323-442-1000 (HSC) for 24-hour emergency assistance or to report a crime.

Provides overall safety to USC community. http://dps.usc.edu