معرفی
Professor Douglas Collins serves in the Department of Chemistry at Bucknell University's College of Arts and Sciences, where he leads pioneering research in indoor environmental chemistry. His work addresses critical gaps in understanding chemical interactions between common household substances and indoor surfaces, with significant implications for public health given humans spend 90% of time indoors.
Collins' research focuses on indoor air chemistry and surface reactivity, investigating how chemicals like bleach, nitrous acid, and third-hand cigarette smoke form persistent reservoirs on surfaces that release harmful byproducts. During the pandemic, he examined hypochlorous acid (HOCl) disinfectants, demonstrating their similarity to bleach in producing toxic airborne compounds through rapid evaporation and surface reactions.
He secured a 2020 National Science Foundation grant for a state-of-the-art mass spectrometer to analyze chemical byproducts within the Surface Consortium for the Chemistry of Indoor Environments. Collins actively mentors undergraduate researchers, guiding them through complex experimental design and fostering transformative growth as they tackle open-ended scientific problems in his laboratory.
