What's in Our Air? USU Researchers Investigating Halogen Concentrations Around the Great Salt Lake

USU Associate Research Professor Randy Martin, along with students from his air quality lab, are currently studying halogen concentrations around the Great Salt Lake. The lake is a site for industrial activity, which can release a number of pollutants, including halogens, which can react with other substances to form environmentally harmful compounds.

For this study, Martin and his team are trying to determine which halogens are most prevalent, and to do this they’ve set up samplers around the Great Salt Lake, from Lakeside, on the western shore, to Golden Spike, on the north side. This study is being done in conjunction with the Utah Division of Air Quality, with sample testing being done at the Utah Water Research Laboratory in Logan.

“We need to understand how many halogens exist so we can see how the photochemistry is affected and what’s contributing to harmful pollutants,” Martin said. “This is how we can learn to control it.”