Milani breaks new ground in atmospheric chemistry

Alissia Milani
Monday, November 30, 2020 - 10:30am

Alissia Milani (B.A.), in collaboration with Prof. Elizabeth A. Stone, studies the sources of particle air pollution with the long-term goal of reducing its negative impacts on respiratory health. Personal care products, like shampoos, skin cream, hair spray, and other cosmetic products contain volatile organic compounds that can evaporate, undergo chemical reactions, and form particles. Milani demonstrated for the first time the presence of a particle-phase compound derived from personal care products in ambient air. Her findings are significant because they provide the atmospheric chemistry community a new tool to track particles derived from this source, which will further enable assessments of the impacts of personal care products on air quality. A notable feature of her work is explaining to other researchers how to detect this compound, so that it can be measured by others around the world.

In December 2020, Milani will complete her Bachelor's degree in Chemistry with highest distinction and university honors. She is a fellow of the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates (ICRU), an ICRU ambassador, and the recipient of the Donald J. Burton and Margaret A. Burton Scholarship, Senior Chemistry Alumni Award, and ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry Award.

See her article published in Atmospheric Environment with co-authors Dr. Ibrahim Al-Naiema (Ph.D. 2018) and Prof. Stone here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1c7ak4pTZHdgQ8