Orange Alert

The Environmental Impact of Urban Grime

Dirty window.

Posted on: Oct. 5, 2020

Researchers from the College of Arts and Sciences’ (A&S’) Department of Chemistry examined urban grime and its effects on chemical reactions and their results were featured in "The Science Times." Urban grime includes pollutants, soot and organic compounds found on many city surfaces. In a journal article published in “ACS Earth and Space Chemistry,” the group tested surfaces in Scranton, Pennsylvania and Syracuse, New York, including spots on the University campus like the Dome, revealing that urban grime absorbs sunlight and may participate in photochemical reactions, potentially impacting both air and water quality.