A Brigham Young University chemistry professor received the annual American Chemical Society Utah Award at a recent reception at the Alumni House at the University of Utah.
Delbert J. Eatough, who has been with the BYU chemistry department for 22 years, was recognized for his research into such areas as atmospheric chemistry, visibility, indoor air and environmental tobacco smoke. He has published more than 200 articles and books on these subjects over the past 20 years.In his lecture to the group, Eatough discussed the latest Clean Air Act, which requires that the visibility be preserved in the national parks.
Research in the Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah shows no one source causes air pollution that decreases the visibility there. In fact, organic sources - wood smoke, soot, tree emissions - cause more of the problem than previously thought.
The challenge for scientists today, Eatough said, is to determine how much of the pollution can be controlled, like the wood smoke. Then officials must decide how much the country can afford to spend to control it.
Eatough is also working on Project Mojave in the Grand Canyon looking at air pollution concerns there.