Young Scientists Receive Recognition
for Air Pollution Research
The 47th annual Montana State Science Fair was held at the University of Montana on April 4-5 to showcase the science knowledge and creativity of young students throughout Montana. Two entries in Division I (grades 9-12) won awards for their projects stemming from an innovative science education and outreach program between the University of Montana and area high schools called “Asthma and Air Quality: The Big Sky Connection.”
The two projects receiving awards were:
1) "A Baseline Study: Analysis of Indoor & Outdoor VOCs in Bitterroot Air Using Gas Chromatography" - Ali Messer, Amber Jessop, Ashley Mitchell, Corvallis HS (silver ribbon).
2) "Monitoring the VOC Emissions of a Biodiesel Public Transit Bus in Comparison to OSHA Standards" - Stephanie Seewald, Big Sky HS (gold ribbon)
The Big Sky Model - Background
Originally piloted by Big Sky High School chemistry teacher Dave Jones in 2004, the program is providing mentoring opportunities for students to work alongside university-based scientists from the UM Center for Environmental Health Sciences and the Department of Chemistry in examining important components of air pollution called Volatile Organic Compounds. Levels of VOCs are being measured both outdoors and indoors to provide a better picture of how they vary seasonally and geographically and evaluate their potential human health effects.
High-tech equipment and other laboratory resources necessary for this work were purchased through the generous financial support of the Toshiba America Foundation and the Toyota Tapestry Foundation. This support allowed the program to be expanded to several other schools in western Montana including Sentinel and Hellgate high schools in Missoula, Corvallis High School in the Bitterroot Valley, and Salish Kootenai College on the Flathead Reservation.
The Big Sky program is a model for:
1) Bringing student-based scientific inquiry into the classroom
2) Giving students real-world experience on problems relevant to their rural communities
3) Encouraging them to seek further education and careers in environmental and biomedical sciences
Future Events
Approximately 80 students will present the results of their analyses in a science symposium at the University of Montana on May 20, 2005. Besides their peers, invited attendees will include representatives from local health agencies, UM faculty and staff, tribal offices, community organizations, and corporate and academic sponsors.
Posters and presentations from student research on air quality will also be displayed during the Regional Children’s Environmental Health Summit in Helena in August 3-4. Sponsored by the Region 8 office of the Environmental Protection Agency, this conference will be attended by a wide range of physicians, toxicologists, and environmental public health specialists. Invited keynote speakers include the U.S. Surgeon General and the director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
