Research:

Current research activities include:

Environmental Foresight through Computational Chemistry:  Environmental issues about chemicals or technologies have typically appeared years and decades after a change is made.  The dangers of DDT, the first modern pesticide, to bird populations, the destruction of the ozone layer by CFCs, and the emergence of global warming issues due to HFCs are all examples.  Computational chemistry offers a unique route of quickly and inexpensively investigating environmental impacts of chemicals, even before they are synthesized and purified.  Research in the group has been done to predict global warming potentials of hydrofluoroethers and hydrofluorcarbons.  Other research has predicted heat capacities needed for the evaluation of environmental impacts due to the use of a new chemical versus an established chemical.  Future work will begin to investigate risks and hazards of toxicity due to exposure to chemicals.  This application of computational chemistry to widely characterize chemicals for their potential environmental hazards is unique to this research group.

Pollution Prevention:  Adsorption of trace metals from combustion flue gases or from dilute water sources is an important, yet poorly understood, method for remediation and pollution prevention.  Current work is investigating mercury removal from flue gases using computational chemistry to model and predict adsorption equilibria on calcium oxide,
silicon dioxide, calcium carbonate, and anorthite clay aggregates.  This research has the potential of mechanistically understanding how to modify surface sites to control better and stronger adsorption of mercury and prevent subsequent leaching of the toxic metal under landfill conditions.

Life Cycle Assessment:  Past research has compared different technologies for their environmental impacts.  The lack of impact parameters (toxicity, global warming potentials, etc.) has led to the development of the previously mentioned research efforts in order to provide more quantifiably based environmental comparisons.  This topic also fits appropriately into the sustainability topics integrated throughout Dr. Blowers' undergraduate courses where he is the first faculty member to build these topics strongly into core courses.

Additional Information can be found here:  Link to research page and Link to research support and funding information.