RESEARCH COLLABORATION Benefits Students, Faculty, and the Planet By Lisa Leffel ’98
W
isconsin Lutheran College Professor of Chemistry Dr. Dan Ebeling ’98 (pictured in inset) has a passion for analytical chemistry. Since 2007, while on a sabbatical from teaching, Ebeling has been collaborating with Dr. Joseph Stetter, President of KWJ Engineering and SPEC Sensors, to develop electrochemical sensors that detect and monitor a variety of gases including carbon monoxide, ozone, hydrogen sulfide, and other environmental pollutants. Why sensors? Ebeling shares, “There’s a human health aspect to the research that makes a difference in life quality, not only in the United States, but also abroad.” The sensors Ebeling has helped develop have been implemented across the globe to alert their users of dangerous
10 | Summer 2021
air quality, to build portable water purification systems, and to sterilize surgical equipment. Through a partnership with Intel, 100,000 sensors were distributed in the form of bracelets to women in Pakistan, where there is a history of low birth weights in children due to air quality from cooking in poorly ventilated areas. The bracelets alert women, in their own language, when the air quality is poor so they can avoid breathing in the harmful chemicals. According to Ebeling, there are hundreds of thousands of the sensors deployed in “smart cities” like Chicago and London. Connected to structures such as light poles and buildings throughout the cities, the sensors collect data to measure air quality.
On days when ozone levels are elevated, city officials can alert their residents – especially those with asthma and other breathing compromises – to avoid the outdoors. The sensors also can detect pollutants from factories that are not following government guidelines. In addition, the sensors can identify fires by measuring high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in the air, resulting in faster emergency response times. The technology used for “smart cities” is also available at the “smart home” level. The technology has advanced so far that sensors can be implemented into cell phones and other personal devices. Excited about the opportunities to share the sensor research with his
