Environmental scientists commonly study net air pollution levels, but rarely analyze the inorganic ionic composition of that pollution and the effect of weather conditions on that air pollution together. In order to determine the inorganic ion components of and weather condition effect on particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) in Claremont, California, we used a Particle-into-liquid-Sampler with Ion Chromatography (PILS-IC) system. This is the only study of its kind to employ the PILS-IC system in Claremont.

Imagine you are Rebecca. Or that she is your sister, your aunt, or your friend. Rebecca lives in a semi-urban town in South Africa - an illegal settlement made up of homemade shacks with limited access to clean water and toilets. At the age of 24, Rebecca is happy to be having a baby, since her partner wanted to start a family. She doesn't live with him yet, though he tells her he is saving to get a place for the two of them. He has been telling her this for 3 years. For now, Rebecca lives with her sister, who has her own shack that she shares with her daughter.