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Research to Smoke Out Burning Issues
(May, 2003) We all become concerned when we see an automobile's tailpipe, a smokestack or even a chain smoker belching visible pollutants into the air around us. Nonetheless, there is a variety of sources of air contaminants that rarely cross our minds. How often does the use of a cozy fireplace or wood burning stove, or the "backyard burning" of household waste force us to realize that harmful products of combustion also arise from these common uses?
The nature of combustion materials, conditions and products frequent the thoughts and research energies of Dr. Brian K. Gullett of the Office of Research and Development's (ORD) National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL). Dr. Gullett, an Environmental Engineer with the Air Pollution Technology Branch of NRMRL's Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division (APPCD), conducts research into technologies that can identify, and prevent or reduce risks from pollution that threaten human health and the environment.
With work that bridges the gap between basic and applied combustion research, Dr. Gullett operates in both laboratory and field settings. His research is helping to clarify our understanding of pollutant formation and prevention, for stationary, mobile, and diffuse sources of air pollution. This type of engineering-based research is providing valuable management options for such key industries as electric power generation, and municipal, medical and hazardous waste incineration. In this work, Dr. Gullett employs-in addition to laboratory facilities-such special "field" facilities as EPA's Open Burning Test Facility, and EPA's Multi-Fuel Combustor (that allows handling and combustion release rates that are representative of large field combustion units).
But, let's go back to his work on 'backyard burning' of domestic waste. This practice most often carried out in barrels is a common disposal practice for many households around the country. Not withstanding, its pervasive use, the pollutant emissions arising from such burning have neither been, as yet, well-studied nor adequately defined. People employ 'barrel burns' for many reasons including convenience, habit, or their low cost. Unfortunately, barrels just do not offer features common in modern refuse burners. They do not minimize the likely health and economic impacts of emissions; they do not heighten dilution by dispersion; and their low burn temperature and oxygen-poor conditions only serve to promote incomplete combustion and increased pollutant emissions. That does not bode well for people in the vicinity of 'barrel burns'.
Over the past several years, Dr. Gullett and his colleagues have measured, under conditions that simulate the conditions typically found in a 'burn barrel', the types and amounts of several pollutants. Some of these have included polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs and PCDFs). From this research, they have concluded that it is very possible that the PCDD and PCDF emissions from burn barrels are a significant, unmeasured and uncontrolled source of emissions from waste burning. More recently he and his colleagues have been simulating burn conditions and measuring emissions from diffuse sources such as forest fires and agricultural field burning. His undergraduate and graduate training at Duke in Environmental Science and Policy, Environmental Engineering and Engineering Management have prepared him well for his combustion research emphasis at EPA.
Between 1987-2000, Dr. Gullett has been the recipient of EPA's Scientific and Technological Achievement Award nine times. In 1991, he received the EPA's Science Achievement Award in Engineering-presented jointly with the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. Also, in 2000, he was recognized as the EPA Federal Engineer of the Year. Dedicated to reporting the findings of his engineering research, he has authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 75 conference proceeding papers.
In his formative years, his interest in science was spurred on by such events as the advent of Earth Day and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency. He also spent a lot of time boating on the Chesapeake Bay where he could observe the pressures being placed on the estuary by steadily increasing human use. He collected water samples and entreated his family physician to allow him to look at those samples through the physician's microscope, observing the plant and animal life from the Bay waters.
Dr. Gullett looks back on his development as a scientist and sees a multitude of motivations for and motivators to his career choices. One of his young graduate school professors stands out in his mind because he admired that professor's attitude toward research and respect for science. As with art and music, Gullett feels that science can be a truly creative, muse-driven process. He has an inner sense that the products of his work—that is, his publications in scientific journals—involve creative talents. As such he emphasizes that he takes special care in crafting his words as he explains and interprets his research work in manuscripts. He looks for clear, precise, enlightening meaning to his words. Gullet has taken this view of the creative reporting process to a very serious level through his work as Editor for Air Pollution Technology for the scientific journal Environmental Engineering Science.
In coming to work for the Federal government at one of EPA's National Laboratories, Gullett admits that he took a gamble. He took the job with the ORD's NRMRL right out of graduate school. He did this since he felt that working for the EPA offered him a real opportunity to remain grounded in the research sciences. He did not feel that he could get or maintain that deep science exposure while working in a consulting engineering or an industrial firm. He explains that he remains with the EPA because he likes-and is encouraged by-the work atmosphere and the mission. He feels that he gets 'something special' from working there. He characterizes that something special as, "the public's assumption of impartiality" that accompanies work done by scientists and engineers at EPA.
When not in his laboratory, Dr. Gullett maintains a keen passion for woodworking. He says he gets real fulfillment from shaping wood into furniture and from doing remodeling and construction jobs at home. Gullett says that he gets more satisfaction from these endeavors than some of his other pursuits, such as golf. More recently his outside-EPA time has been occupied by his new son that he and his wife adopted from Russia.
If his laboratory were on fire, although it contains a great deal of sophisticated measurement equipment, he says he would choose to save his laptop computer in order to preserve his ability to write up his research. Unlike some in science, Dr. Gullett registers no dislike when it comes to the research publication process. In particular, he appreciates the principles and process of peer review that accompanies appearance in the science literature; and he thinks journals do a great job in getting important research findings published quickly. Conferences are another way for scientists to get the word about their work out, and the Nation's Capital, Washington, is Dr. Gullett's favorite conference destination. He feels the city—aside from being the heart of the Nation—is in many respects inspiring; and, an added plus for him is that it is so easy to get around.
As Dr. Gullett looks forward and tries to envision the Environmental Engineering research agenda of the future, he sees such overarching issues as sustainability, and disparities in economic and environmental quality as being significant drivers. He believes Environmental Engineering must be harnessed to play a leading role in the handling of these issues, in particular in the face of growing population pressure. When asked, what is just around the corner for his discipline and field of inquiry, he feels that today's world order is driving research into the development and use of Advanced Monitoring Technologies; in particular, the impact these will have on so-called 'Homeland Security' applications. He believes such technologies are going to make a huge and palpable contribution to the security of people everywhere.
The Office of Research and Development is committed to showing the difference the important work of its scientists and engineers is making in peoples lives. We welcome your reaction to-and any comments on-this "Spotlight" feature article; please send them to draggan.sidney@epa.gov.