Air / water / soil quality

News and Updates

Sneezes, Rain Clouds and Ink Jets: NIST Improves the Ability of Optical Microscopes to Measure the Volume of Microdroplets

December 20, 2021

Sneezes, rain clouds, and ink jet printers: They all produce or contain liquid droplets so tiny it would take several billion of them to fill a liter bottle

Spotlight: Tracking Methylmercury, a Toxic Substance in Natural Waters

August 16, 2021

Mercury — the only metal that exists in liquid form at room temperature — may move like water, but its effect on the environment certainly isn’t replenishing

Landscape view of buildings and lasers scanning the atmosphere

NIST Laser ‘Comb’ Systems Now Measure All Primary Greenhouse Gases in the Air

June 30, 2021

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have upgraded their laser frequency-comb instrument to simultaneously measure three

Projects and Programs

Microplastic and Nanoplastic Metrology

Ongoing

The mission of the Micro and Nanoplastic (MNP) Metrology Project is to assist regulators in assessing the human health and environmental risks associated with

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)

Ongoing

NIST works to improve confidence in measurements and conducts research on PFAS for better human health and the environment.

Assessing the Internal Structure and Composition of Climatically-Relevant Atmospheric Particles

Ongoing

Atmospheric particles with long atmospheric lifetimes affect Earth's radiative balance. These particles typically consist of multiple chemical species. The

Vapor Sampling in the Field

Ongoing

We develop and deploy portable vapor sampling instruments to collect detailed chemical information in the field, in sampling situations where the laboratory is

Publications

Impact of disaster research on the development of early career researchers: Lessons learned from the wastewater monitoring community pandemic response

April 7, 2022

Author(s)

Jeseth Delgado Vela, Jill McClary-Gutierrez, Mitham Al-faliti, Peter Arts, Robert Barbero, Cristalyne Bell, Mira Chaplin, Nishita D'Souza, Janet Baffoe, Kevin Bakker, Devrim Kaya, Raul Gonzalez, Kate Harrison, Sherin Kannoly, Ishi Keenum, Lin Li, Zachary Marsh, Brian Pecson, Sarah Philo, Hema P. Ravindran, Jatuwat Sangsanont, Rebecca Schneider, Melissa Schussman, Emily Segelhurst, Abhilasha Shrestha, Lauren Stadler, Allan Vajra, Krista R. Wigginton, Alexandria Boehm, Rolf Halden, Kyle Bibby

Models for an Ultraviolet-C Research and Development Consortium

March 25, 2022

Author(s)

Dianne L. Poster, C Cameron Miller, Yaw S. Obeng, John J. Kasianowicz, Michael T. Postek, Norman Horn, Troy Cowan, Richard Martinello

The development of an international, precompetitive, collaborative, ultraviolet (UV) research consortium is discussed as an opportunity to lay the groundwork

Performance of NIST SRM® 2917 with 13 Recreational Water Quality Monitoring qPCR Assays

February 10, 2022

Author(s)

Jessica Willis, Mano Sivaganesan, Richard Haugland, Jason Kralj, Stephanie Servetas, Monique Hunter, Scott Jackson, Orin Shanks

Fecal pollution remains a significant challenge for recreational water quality management worldwide. In response, there is a growing interest in the use of real

Sub-picoliter Traceability of Microdroplet Gravimetry and Microscopy

December 20, 2021

Author(s)

Lindsay C. C. Elliott, Adam L. Pintar, Craig R. Copeland, Thomas B. Renegar, Ronald G. Dixson, B. Robert Ilic, R. Michael Verkouteren, Samuel M. Stavis

Volumetric analysis of single microdroplets is difficult to perform by ensemble gravimetry, whereas optical microscopy is often inaccurate beyond the resolution

Software

Quick Indoor CO2 (QICO2) Tool

April 8, 2022

This tool is used for implementing the CO2 concentration calculations. After providing the relevant inputs, or selecting from a number of predefined cases, the

ViPER - Virus Particle Exposure in Residences

November 22, 2021

The web-based tool Virus Particle Exposure in Residences (ViPER) allows users to compare an individual scenario against multiple “what-if” scenarios related to

Tools and Instruments

Ozone Standard Reference Photometer

DESCRIPTION The Standard Reference Photometer (SRP) Program began in the early 1980s as collaboration between NIST and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Awards

Lisa Ng Receives IBPSA-USA Emerging Contributor Award

For demonstrating potential for significant contributions to the field of building simulation and prospects for continued contributions.