Air / water / soil quality

News and Updates

Shrinking (Ultra)Violet

July 21, 2020

While awaiting full access to their labs due to COVID-19 restrictions, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have taken this

Woman uses gas analysis mass spectrometer at NBS for chemical analysis of gas or vapor mixtures

NIST Adds New 'Fingerprints' to Chemical Identification Database

June 17, 2020

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has updated its database of chemical fingerprints, called mass spectra, that are used to identify

A view through a door window of N95 masks being decontaminated.

NIST Tool Could Help Hospitals Repurpose Rooms for Disinfecting N95 Masks

April 16, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals across the United States are disinfecting N95 masks by placing them in repurposed rooms or shipping containers

Two hands in purple gloves hold onto butane lighters, which are being used to light up two cigarettes poised in a metal device.

Butt Emissions: Study Finds Even Extinguished Cigarettes Give Off Toxins

January 29, 2020

Cigarette butts pile up in parks, beaches, streets and bus stops, places where all types of littering are frowned upon. An estimated more than five trillion

Projects and Programs

The NIST Standard Reference Photometer for Ozone Measurement Traceability

The NIST Standard Reference Photometer (SRP), developed jointly with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), has provided an infrastructure for the

Fossil Fuel Standard Reference Materials

To support regulatory and industry requirements for reference materials and standards, NIST produces and maintains a large inventory of fossil fuel SRMs that

Establishing Measurement Traceability for Gaseous Mercury Emissions Monitoring

As a result of the environmental impact of mercury and the neurotoxic risk associated with trophic transfer of methyl mercury to humans, the reduction of

Advanced Microscopy for Trace and Bulk Particle Characterization

Advanced microscopy and spectroscopy techniques are used in this project to study the chemical and physical properties of particles contained in complex

Publications

Developing Unique Non-Target High Resolution Mass Spectrometry Signatures to Track Contaminant Sources in Urban Waters

October 14, 2020

Author(s)

Bowen Du, Zhenyu Tian, Katherine T. Peter, Edward P. Kolodziej, Charles S. Wong

Non-point source pollution in urban receiving waters often adversely impacts both humans and ecosystems. Identifying such pollution sources is challenging and

Building Industry Reporting and Design for Sustainability (BIRDS) Low-Energy Residential Incremental Energy Efficiency Improvements Database Technical Manual: Update

September 22, 2020

Author(s)

Joshua D. Kneifel, Eric G. O'Rear, Priya D. Lavappa, Anne L. Greig, Sangwon Suh

Purified meta-Cresol Purple dye perturbation: how it influences spectrophotometric pH measurements

September 10, 2020

Author(s)

Xinyu Li, Maribel Garc?a-Ib??ez, Brendan Carter, Baoshen Chen, Qian Li, Regina A. Easley, Wei-Jun Cai

Ocean acidification, a phenomenon of seawater pH decreasing due to increasing atmospheric CO2, has a global effect on seawater chemistry, marine biology, and

Evaluation of Thermal Optical Analysis (TOA) Using an Aqueous Binary Mixture

June 30, 2020

Author(s)

Courtney D. Grimes, Joseph M. Conny, Russell Dickerson

Thermal Optical Analysis (TOA), a commonly implemented technique used to measure the amount of particulate carbon in the atmosphere or deposited on a filter

Tools and Instruments

Ozone Standard Reference Photometer

DESCRIPTIONThe Standard Reference Photometer (SRP) Program began in the early 1980s as collaboration between NIST and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Awards

Lisa Ng Receives IBPSA-USA Emerging Contributor Award

This award recognizes an individual at the beginning of their career who has demonstrated potential for significant contributions to the...