Students Receive Award to Present at National Biodiesel Board conference
Keene State juniors, Rachel Klaski and Audrey Boraski, and research associate, Nathan Martin, are working with Environmental Studies professor Dr. Nora Traviss to answer an important question about the health impacts of biodiesel on humans. The toxicological effects of biodiesel particulate matter generated in a lab setting have been tested by scientists worldwide who are looking to better understand the health benefits, or drawbacks, of the biofuel versus traditional petroleum-based diesel. However, particles emitted by biodiesel combustion in a real world workplace – and the associated health effects—have not been examined. Better understanding the toxicity of real world biodiesel particulate matter is the focus of a study by Dr. Nora Traviss and her undergraduate research team. Dr. Traviss, Klaski, Boraski and Martin are working on collecting and analyzing some of the first data ever on heath effects of biodiesel in a working environment, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
“There’s fairly broad consensus that biodiesel is a green fuel, that there’s a lot of benefits to the environment – it’s renewable, it cuts down on emissions of carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, and it’s biodegradable,” said Dr. Traviss. “But there is far less known about its health effects, particularly from exposure to biodiesel combustion products to people in real world uses of the fuel.”
The City of Keene has been using biodiesel at their recycling center for nearly a decade and is partnering with Keene State to produce the data needed for the study.
“What sets us apart is that our research is done in a real-world setting at the Keene Recycling Center, so our research is performed in the field as opposed to the lab. Our toxicity reports are showing actual data on what people are really breathing,” said Klaski.
Dr. Traviss and her undergraduate researchers have presented multiple times at national and regional conferences. This unique research has piqued the interest of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). This prompted the organization to fund and invite both Boraski and Klaski to present their work at the 2016 National Biodiesel Conference in Tampa, FL in January, when NBB typically only accepts one student presenter per institution. This scholarship includes both travel and registration to the conference under the Next Generation of Scientists for Biodiesel program.
Dr. Traviss said that she believes that the invitation being extended to both students is a positive step for undergraduate research at Keene State. “I am extremely proud of this achievement by Rachel and Audrey; and it highlights how undergraduate research at Keene State is being recognized on the national stage,” she said.
Following a full summer of collecting air samples from the Keene Recycling Center, the team spent lab time in 2015 running experiments on the samples, examining the toxicological responses to these samples on lung cells, as inhalation is the primary entry of the particles into the human body.
“Our research is showing the toxicity of biodiesel, versus traditional diesel, from fuel purchased commercially, and our findings are compelling because biodiesel is becoming more popular as a fuel source in the United States,” said Klaski.
While there is much research on the difference in particulate matter between the two fuel sources, research on the health effects is scarce and makes Keene State’s research both unique as well as extremely relevant in the debate for renewable fuel sources over non-renewable.
“The real-world application provides a better understanding of the risk profile of biodiesel. We know the environmental benefits of biodiesel, and being able to describe potential health benefits will hopefully advance policy to further move us away from fossil fuels,” said Dr. Traviss.
