About ASRC

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About ASRC

Background and Center Goals

Aerosols are fine particulate matter suspended in a gaseous medium. Though most often invisible, aerosols are ubiquitous in nature and our living environments. Air pollution and anthropogenic aerosols, especially those with aerodynamic diameters smaller than 2.5 microns (termed PM2.5), have become a major global concern due to the enormous influences and threats they have caused to the environmental ecosystem and human health. In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that outdoor air pollution and particulate matters suspended in air pollution are carcinogenic.

Air pollution and PM2.5 issue is a global issue and one of the most urgent and life-threatening health concerns in Taiwan. As reported by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan in June 2017, exposure to PM2.5 has become the 4th rank of risk factor in causing chronic diseases associated mortalities in Taiwan, pointing out that PM2.5 exposure has become the most urgent issue of concern in causing adverse health effect, morbidities and mortalities in Taiwan. Even though epidemiological studies have established the firm correlations between PM2.5 and numerous major diseases, including lung and pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and cancers, however, insufficient understanding of the fundamental physical, chemical, optical, biological and dynamical properties of aerosols made of different chemical composition and originated from different pollution sources has greatly limited one from developing effective strategies to reduce air pollution and anthropogenic PM2.5. Due to these concerns, it is crucial and urgent to advance our understanding of the fundamental structural and energetic properties and chemical activities of aerosols. The ultimate goals of ASRC include:

1. Improving air quality and restoring environmental ecology
2. Advancing green science and technologies to reduce pollution
3. Developing multidisciplinary aerosol science and environmental education program
4. Developing aerosol biomedical science and PM2.5 preventive medicine

5. Restoring human-environment homeostasis

Center Organization

Aerosol Science Research Center (ASRC) covers a broad spectrum of key research fields, encompassing basic research of aerosol science, chemistry, physics, biology, biomedicine, public health, environmental engineering, marine science, education, and environmental policy studies. Based on the ultimate goals and research issues involved, ASRC currently has 6 mission-oriented research divisions, including:

Division 1: Fundamental Aerosol Sciences and Instrumentation Developments
Division 2: Aerosols, Atmosphere, Ocean and Environmental Ecosystem
Division 3: Reduction and Regulation of Anthropogenic Aerosols and Air Pollution
Division 4: Aerosol Biomedical Science and PM2.5 Preventive Medicine
Division 5: Aerosol Science and Environmental Education Outreach
Division 6: Academic-Industry Collaboration and Environmental Policy Studies

ASRC has also established an international committee formed by distinguished scientists and researchers in aerosol-related fields worldwide. ASRC also collaborates closely with domestic and international research institutes, hospitals, governments and industry to invoke collective efforts to address various aerosol-related issues. In addition to the research efforts, ASRC is also actively engaged in educational outreach and talent cultivation, with an ultimate goal to raise the public awareness of environmental protection to restore the homeostasis between human and environmental ecosystem.

The ultimate goals of ASRC are to develop effective strategies to reduce air pollution and toxic anthropogenic aerosols, improve air quality, restore human-environment balance and alleviate and prevent diseases caused by air pollution and toxic anthropogenic aerosols.

Division I. Fundamental Aerosol Science

A fundamental understanding of aerosols is the most challenging and needed information in resolving PM2.5 related issues. The division of "Fundamental Aerosol Science" aims to improve our understanding of the fundamental physical, chemical, biological characteristics and their formation and transformation kinetic properties. We also dedicate to developing various novel aerosol spectroscopies and technologies to help us reach this goal. Issues of interest include the formation mechanism of secondary aerosols, the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of aerosols and their multi-phase chemistry of aerosols.

Division II. Aerosols, Atmosphere, Ocean and Environment Ecosystem

Aerosols play a crucial role in mediating atmospheric, oceanic chemistry, and environmental ecology. The division of "Aerosols, Atmosphere, Ocean and Environment Ecosystem" focuses on studies of atmospheric and marine aerosols, their formation processes, effects of anthropogenic activities, and their overall impacts on the environmental ecology. For example, sea spray aerosols (SSA) belong to the most abundant type of naturally produced aerosols. SSA are often formed from the sea-air microlayer (SML) via ejection by bursting bubbles at the air-sea interface. Once brought into the atmosphere by wind, SSA may serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), mediating the cloud formation/precipitation microphysics and Earth's radiative budget. They may also actively participate in the atmospheric processes and thus play a crucial role in the global and regional climate. Several issues of interest of this division include:

Multiphase chemistry of aerosols relevant to atmospheric chemistry
Marine aerosols, cloud formation microphysics and climate
Sea microlayer (SML) and sea spray aerosols (SSA)
Effects of anthropogenic aerosols and gaseous pollutants on the environmental ecosystem
Reduction of PM2.5 emissions from shipping boats
Surface Ocean and Lower Atmosphere Studies (SOLAS)

Reduction and Regulation of Anthropogenic Aerosol Emission

The division of "Reduction and Regulation of Anthropogenic Aerosol Emission" aims better to understand the nature of various PM2.5 pollution sources and develop effective strategies and/or materials to reduce, regulate and remove PM2.5 produced from various pollution sources, including:

Mobile sources
Stationary sources
Residential/household emission
Occupational emission

Categories of aerosols:

By Sources	Natural source	Volcano eruption, crustal rocks, sea spray aerosols, dust
	Anthropogenic activity	Stationary	Fossil fuels and industrial exhaust gas
		Mobile	Exhaust from automobiles, ships, aircrafts
		Daily activities	Cooking, smoking, incense burning, pathogen-laden aerosols
By Aging History	Primary aerosols	Particulate matters directly emitted from anthropogenic activities without undergoing any chemical reactions, such as sea spray, dust from construction sites, and traffic and industrial exhaust emission
	Secondary aerosols	Particulate matters formed from their gas or particle precursors originated from nature and human activities released into the atmosphere, further undergoing photochemistry and/or chemical reactions.

Aerosol Biomedical Science

The division of "Aerosol Biomedical Science" aims better to understand the pathogenic mechanisms of various PM2.5 associated diseases and develop effective strategies to prevent and alleviate the health risk induced by PM2.5 in safeguarding public health.

Epidemiological studies on PM2.5-related diseases

Pathology and molecular biology studies on PM2.5-related diseases
Aerosol transmission of infectious respiratory diseases
Novel aerosol therapy development

Division V. Aerosol Science and Environmental Education

The division of "Aerosol Science and Environmental Education Outreach" dedicates to developing innovative environmental education curriculum and teaching materials related to numerous issues of aerosol science to raise awareness of environmental protection for K-12 school teachers, students, and the general public through diverse educational outreach programs and activities. We have launched the "Aerosols, Environment and Life" Co-Learning Program and developed specific courses and teaching materials for four major learning groups, including:

1. University

2. K-12 Schools

3. Public and Community

4. International learning group

Division VI. Acedemic-Industry Collaboration and Environmental Policy Studies

ASRC are making efforts to establish and strengthen the academic-industry collaboration. By collaborating with industry, ASRC may contribute to infuse innovative ideas and techniques to help traditional industry which tends to serve as stationary PM2.5 pollution sources transforming into environmental friendly green industry, reducing the environmental pollution.