Trustee Professor honored
Anne E. Aust, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, was one of three professors at Utah State University who was honored with the title of trustee professor this year. Aust was nominated for her continuing work in the biological effects of airborne particulates.
Aust joined USU’s faculty in 1987 and shortly thereafter began research on how airborne asbestos affects the lungs, she said. The research dealt with long-term effects like cancer from the asbestos.
Aust’s research is currently focusing on airborne particulates found in the air in Salt Lake City and Logan, she said. Particles from burning wood, coal and diesel fuel can be heavily concentrated in the air because of the effects of temperature inversions that prevent the air from circulating in these valleys.
“Our hypothesis is that the iron that is part of those particles is involved in the pathology, the disease and the damage that occurs in the lungs,” Aust said. “That’s what the [Environmental Protection Agency] is focusing on now.”
Aust said the acute affect of the particulates in the air could be bad enough to cause death in some people.
“When the particle levels get above 150 micrograms per cubic meter, the epidemiologists can tell you how many people will actually die in the next 24 hours as a result of that particle exposure,” Aust said. “And so we’re investigating the role that iron might play or other factors might play in that 24-hour period to cause such an acute problem that it would kill someone.”
“Salt Lake is infamous – it has been for decades – for the pollution problems,” Aust said. “Even though it would appear that there has been a lot of clean-up, they’re still exceeding the acceptable limits, especially this winter.”
Aust’s research is also relevant in Cache Valley, she said.
“We even exceeded [the acceptable limits] here in Cache Valley, which is unheard of,” she said.
Aust suggested the problem of particulates in the air in Cache Valley and Salt Lake City could be alleviated by limiting the burning of wood in open-chimney houses. However, Aust cautioned no hard evidence points directly at wood burning. But the iron in the air suggests wood burning is a major problem.
Aust’s work is valuable to the EPA to determine clean air standards. Recognition by the EPA and industry of the work of airborne particulates in urban areas is needed to create laws backed by research, Aust said.
“The current air quality standard had very little scientific backing when they initiated it,” she said. “They’ve actually gotten in some trouble for that. So they’re looking for good studies.”
Aust compared the EPA air quality regulations and their lack of scientific backing to the repealing of arsenic standards in water by President George W. Bush’s administration for lack of specific scientific data.