UAlbany researcher eyes reducing methane in New York

While most of the attention from the fight against global warming has gone to carbon dioxide emissions, there are many lesser-known gases that impact air quality as well- including methane. To help reduce methane emissions in New York, UAlbany's Jim Schwab has announced a new collaborative project that aims to locate the state's largest sources of emissions using specialized lab equipment.

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) - While most of the attention from the fight against global warming has gone to carbon dioxide emissions, many lesser-known gases impact air quality as well- including methane. To help reduce methane emissions in New York State, UAlbany's Jim Schwab has announced a new collaborative project that aims to locate the state's largest sources of emissions using specialized lab equipment.

The project is backed by $548,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through its Environmental Research Program. Researchers from Columbia University, Ithaca College, and the University of Rochester are participating in this scientific project.

“While not as widely known as carbon dioxide, methane is another dangerous air pollutant that has significant impacts on climate change,” said Schwab, the project’s principal investigator. “Methane concentrations are increasing globally, including close to home, due to a number of reasons such as leakage from oil and gas infrastructure, agricultural practices, and inadequate mitigation at landfills and wastewater treatment plants.”

UAlbany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center has placed its mobile laboratory inside a 2007 sprinter van. It was installed with research-grade tools that can measure methane concentrations, along with co-pollutants, from the back of the van's cargo compartment.

The researchers plan to share their findings with NYSERDA and the DEC to help them better understand, control, and regulate future methane emissions.