Article by UWs Field Chosen for Journals Web Collection

A 2014 article by University of Wyoming Department of Atmospheric Science senior research scientist Robert Field has been selected for inclusion in a web collection on planetary health by the editor of the journal Environmental Science Processes and Impacts (ESPI).

The perspective paper, “Air quality concerns of unconventional oil and natural gas production,” is one of 20 papers chosen for the collection by Associate Editor Paul Tratnyek. The article has been cited 71 times.

“I’m pleased with the recognition for this paper, which was the first review of this emerging area of research,” Field says. “Some great papers drive research but get few citations, so it is great to know that you have informed a wider audience than normal.”

ESPI is a multidisciplinary publication that reports peer-reviewed research on environmental science, especially environmental chemistry, including natural atmospheric and biogeochemical processes, the effects of human activities on these processes, and the occurrence, risk and control of environmental stressors such as chemical and microbial contaminants. The journal is a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Field’s article called for a number of actions to assess and mitigate potential air quality impacts from unconventional oil and gas development. Those included enhanced regulation of emissions; location-specific case studies; more air quality monitoring; and improved emission controls.

Field has been an active air quality researcher since the late 1980s, when his Ph.D. informed the setup of the United Kingdom air quality standard for the toxic pollutant benzene. This led to the establishment of a European standard that has reduced the carcinogenic potential of ambient air in Europe. Field is now the assistant director of the UW Air Quality Center of Excellence that is led by Assistant Professor Shane Murphy. Field combines his air quality research with teaching an air quality management class; leading an Honors College study-abroad class, “Human, Machines and Nature”; and serving as associate director of the Center for Global Studies, where he helps to advance international research at UW.