MSI PI Jason Hill (associate professor, Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering) is the lead author on a recently published study that shows how the production of corn contributes to air pollution. The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, determined that 4,300 premature deaths each year can be attributed to air pollution caused by corn production. Corn is the largest agricultural crop in the U.S.
A story about this research was aired on National Public Radio and can be found on their website: Growing Corn is a Major Contributor to Air Pollution, Study Finds. The paper can be found on the journal website: Air-Quality-Related Health Damages of Maize.
Professor Hill uses MSI resources to develop air-quality computer models that are less complex and require fewer resources than traditional models.