Anita D'Angelo (Honours Student)
Curtin University of Technology

Project Title
Adsorption of Volatile Organic Compounds on Alumina Particles

Biography
Anita completed a Bachelor Science in Applied Chemistry at Curtin University of Technology, Perth, WA in 2005. In 2006 she began work at The Chemistry Centre of Western Australia in the Emergency Response and Occupational Health section. Day to day Anita is responsible for air quality analysis including diving air purity and volatile organic compounds including carbonyl compounds. In 2007 Anita began honours study part time.

Start Date
March 2008

Project Details
Organics adsorbed onto particulate matter have been shown to cause cytotoxic effects to human lung tissue. During the processing of alumina, numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced which may adsorb onto the alumina surface. These alumina particles may act as a concentrator and carrier for volatile organic compounds into the lung. This project aims to determine the adsorptive capacity of the alumina particles under ambient temperature and pressure with VOCs known to be produced by the alumina refinery. Although the project will not focus on the cytotoxic effects of organics adsorbed onto alumina, this preliminary work may lead to further studies on potential health effects.