JOHN C. SAGEBIEL

Assistant Research Professor
Division of Atmospheric Sciences

EDUCATION:

Ph.D., Agricultural & Environmental Chemistry, University of California, Davis
B.S., Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:

The overall theme of my research has been to investigate sources of pollutants in the atmosphere and understand their impacts on total pollutant load and photochemical oxidant production. The primary sources I focus on include residential wood combustion (from fireplaces and wood burning stoves) as well as gasoline and diesel powered motor vehicles. One emphasis I maintain is that of "real-world" emissions, that is emissions determined under as realistic conditions as possible. One of my goals is to provide the analytical methods, chemical analyses and understanding of the problems and issues surrounding these sources. I focus on unique minor components in emissions that can be used to apportion the contribution of each source to an impacted atmosphere. Originally my research focused on the environmental fate of wood smoke in foggy atmospheres, looking at the partitioning of wood smoke tracers between air and aqueous phases. From this early work I expanded my research to include motor vehicle emissions and other sources, focusing on emission rates and fate in the atmosphere. I am an active experimentalist and field scientist and I firmly believe that the only way to do environmental science is to get out in the world and make the measurements. I also very much enjoy seeing the world from its own level and the photo above shows me on the highest point in the North American continent, the summit of Denali, 20,320'. The barometric pressure that day was about 360 mmHg or 0.47 atm.

The methods I use to accomplish this include direct source sampling on dynamometers as well as sampling inside highway tunnels. Highway tunnels provide unique opportunities to study the average emissions from large numbers of vehicles, all operating under realistic conditions and the operators have no idea they are being sampled. Recently I have also begun looking at the emissions and size distribution of emitted particles from a variety of motor vehicles. I am interested in methods to accurately represent the dilution processes that occur in the atmosphere and what effect various dilution ratios have on measured emissions.

I am also interested in human exposure to various sources. In collaboration with other researchers I conducted a study inside an underground gold mine in Nevada looking at the exposure of miners to diesel exhaust from the trucks used underground. I currently hold a Nevada Underground Miner's License.

I have also applied my skills in sampling and analysis to the investigation of Jet-A fuel behavior and determined air/fuel ratios to assess the flammability of aircraft fuel tank ullage spaces. This work was done for the NTSB in conjunction with the investigation of the crash of TWA Flight 800. This work will be featured on The Learning Channel in January 2001. For more on the TWA Flight 800 Investigation, see: http://www.galcit.caltech.edu/EDL/projects/JetA/background.html

RESEARCH AREAS:

Ambient Air and Source Sampling, Chemical and Physical Analysis, Modeling and Impact Assesment

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Rogers, C.F., J.C. Sagebiel, B. Zielinska, W.P. Arnott, E.M. Fujita, J.D. McDonald, J.B. Griffin, K.E. Kelly, D. Overacker, D. Wagner, J.S. Lighty, A. Sarofim, and G. Palmer (2003).

Characterization of Submicron Exhaust Particles from Engines Operating Without Load on Diesel and JP-8 Fuels. Aerosol Science and Technology, 37:355-368.

McDonald, J.D., B. Zielinska, J.C. Sagebiel, M.R. McDaniel, P. Mousset-Jones (2003).

Source Apportionment of Airborne Fine Particulate Matter in an Underground Mine. J. Air & Waste Manage. Assoc., 53:386-395.

McDonald, J.D., B. Zielinska, E.M. Fujita, J.C. Sagebiel, J.C. Chow, and J.G. Watson (2003).

Emissions from Charbroiling and Grilling of Chicken and Beef. JAWMA, 53:185-194.

Zielinksa, B., J.C. Sagebiel, J.D. McDonald, and P. Mousset-Jones (2002).

Source Apportionment and Characterization of DPM in an Underground Mine. Mine Ventilation, 387:411-418.

Abu-Allaban, M, W. Coulomb, A.W. Gertler, J. Gillies, W.R. Pierson, C.F. Rogers, J.C. Sagebiel, and L. Tarnay (2002).

Exhaust Particle Size Distribution Measurements at the Tuscarora Mountain Tunnel. Aerosol Sci. Technol, 36:771-789

Sagebiel, J.C. (2000).

Analysis of Vapor Samples Collected from the Center Wing Tank of a Boeing 747-100 Aircraft during Ground Tests. Final Report, prepared for the National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, DC, by the Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV.

Juang, J., S. Mabury, J. Sagebiel (2000).

Hot Chili Peppers: Isolation, Cleanup and Measurement of Capsaicin. J. Chem. Ed., In Press.

McDonald, J.D., Zielinska, B., E.M. Fujita, J.C. Sagebiel, J.C. Chow, and J.G. Watson (2000).

Fine Particle and Gaseous Emission Rates from Residential Wood Combustion. Environ. Sci. Technol., 34:2080-2091.

Gertler, A.W., J.C. Sagebiel, W.A. Dippel and C.M. OConnor (1999).

The Impact of California Phase 2 RFG on Real-World Vehicle Emissions. JAWMA, 49, 1339-1346.

Gertler, A.W., J.C. Sagebiel, and W.A. Dippel, and R.J. Farina (1998).

Measurements of Dioxin and Furan Emission Factors From Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles. JAWMA, 48:276-278.

Sagebiel, J.C. (1997).

Sampling and Analysis of Vapors from the Center Wing Tank of a Test Boeing 747-100 Aircraft. Final Report, prepared for the National Transportation Safety Board, Washington, DC, by the Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV.

TEACHING

I teach or co-teach courses in UNR's Department of Environmental & Resource Sciences http://www.unr.edu/ers/index2.html including Environmental Chemicals: Exposure Transport and Fate (ERS433/633), and Analysis of Environmental Contaminants (ERS430/630) and associated Laboratory (ERS431/631).

In the Atmospheric Sciences I teach or co-teach Introduction to Air Pollution (ATMS412/612) and the graduate level course Atmospheric Chemistry (ATMS747)

OTHER AFFILIATIONS

UNR's Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering
http://www.unr.edu/cese/index.html

UNR's Department of Environmental & Resource Sciences
http://www.unr.edu/ers/index2.html

Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences and Health
http://www.unr.edu/idgrad/esh/

Graduate Program in Atmospheric Sciences
http://www.unr.edu/interdis/atmosci/

Links

Big Thunder