Tufts Students Use RV as Science Lab in Sommerville

Jeff Trull and Allison St. Vincent are two Tufts University graduate students who have converted an RV into a portable science lab in order to uncover some interesting facts about air pollution.

somerville-rv

They are driving around neighborhoods, collecting air pollution samples and trying to gauge whether the pollution levels altered with major alterations in traffic flow.

This experiment is part of a bigger project undertaken by Tufts where they are trying to determine a possible co-relation between poor health and pollution levels due to increased traffic on certain streets.

The aim of the project is see if the proximity of a living area to busy highways can aggravate certain ailments.

As for the research itself, the duo started their sample collection in Somerville, Mass, and, once done, will move onto other neighborhoods of Boston.

In Somerville, they usually start collecting samples at 4 am and drive a select route repeatedly while monitoring the changing levels of air pollution.

Where current data is concerned, Trull confirms that that, so far, they found increased pollution in living areas situated close to major highways like Mystic Public Housing.

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