Tak Wai Chan

Current research and/or projects

Contribution to the madates of Environment and Climate Change Canada to assess the human/urban impact on climate

  • Assess the urban and human impacts on climate through the use of long-term atmospheric aerosol and gaseous measurements
  • Research on the evolution of the optical properties of atmospheric particles and their impacts on climate
  • Participate short term field campaigns to advance our knowledge on atmospheric processing on ambient particles
  • Improve understanding of the impacts of natural and anthropogenic emissions across Canada on local and regional climate

Professional activities / interests

Collaborate with government agency and industry project partners to explore strategy and options to mitigate the emissions of black carbon, fine particles, and greenhouse gases from various combustion sources (e.g., vehicles, aviation turbines, ships).

Collaborate with government agency and industry project prartners to develop and to demonstrate advanced vehicle emission control devices (e.g., gasoline particulate filter) to mitigate emissions of black carbon particles from future vehicles.

Research and assess the benefit of the use of various renewable fuels on vehicles, aviation turbines, and ships to reduce toxic emissions.

Characterization of real-time fine black carbon particle and greenhouse gas emissions from different internal combustion sources (e.g., vehicles, aviation turbines, and ships).

 

Education and awards

Ph.D. Atmospheric Chemistry, York University

B.Sc. Atmospheric Chemistry, York University

Key publications

Jiang, Y., Yang, J., Gagné, S., Chan, T.W., Thomson, K., Fofie, E., Cary, R.A., Rutherford, D., Comer, B., Swanson, J., Lin, Y., Rooy, P.V., Asa-Awuku, A., Jung, H., Barsanti, K., Karavalakis, G., Cocker, D., Durbin, T.D., Miller, J.W., Johnson, K.C., (2018). Sources of variance in BC mass measurements from a small marine engine: Influence of the instruments, fuels and loads, Atmospheric Environment, 182, 128-137. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135223101830147X

Chan, T.W., Lax, D., Gunter, G.C., Hendren, J., Kubsh, J., and Brezny, R. (2017). Assessment of the fuel composition impact on black carbon mass, particle number size distributions, solid particle number, organic materials, and regulated gaseous emissions from a light-duty gasoline direct injection truck and passenger car, Energy and Fuels, 31(10), 10452-104696, doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b01345. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b01345

Chan, T.W., Saffaripour, M., Liu, F., Hendren, J., Thomson, K.A., Kubsh, J., Brezny, R., and Rideout, G. (2016). Characterization of real-time particle emissions from a gasoline direct injection vehicle equipped with a catalyzed gasoline particulate filter during filter regeneration, Emission Control Science and Technology, 2(2), 75-88, doi:10.1007/s40825-016-0033-3. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40825-016-0033-3

Saffaripour, M., Chan, T.W., Liu, F., Thomson, K.A., Smallwood, G.J., Kubsh, J., and Brezny, R. (2015). Effect of drive cycle and gasoline particulate filter on the size and morphology of soot particles emitted from a gasoline-direct-injection vehicle, Environmental Science and Technology, 49, 11950-11958. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.5b02185

Chan, T.W., Chishty, W.A., Canteenwalla, P., Buote, D., and Davison, C.R. (2015). Characterization of emissions from the use of alternative aviation fuels, Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 138(1), 011506, 1-9. http://gasturbinespower.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/article.aspx?articleid=2426679

Chan, T.W., Meloche, E., Kubsh, J., and Brezny, R. (2014). Black carbon emissions in gasoline exhaust and a reduction alternative with a gasoline particulate filter, Environmental Science and Technology, 48, 6027-6034. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es501791b

Ding, L., Chan, T.W., Ke, F. and Wang, D.K.W. (2014). Characterization of chemical composition and concentration of fine particulate matter during a transit strike in Ottawa, Canada, Atmospheric Environment, 89, 433-442. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231014001095

Chan, T.W., Brook, J.R., Smallwood, G.J., and Lu, G. (2011). Time-resolved measurements of black carbon light absorption enhancement in urban and near-urban locations of southern Ontario, Canada, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 11, 10407-10432. https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/11/10407/2011/

Chan, T.W., Huang, L., Leaitch, W.R., Sharma, S., Brook, J.R., Slowik, J.G., Abbatt, J.P.D., Brickell, P.C., Liggio, J., Li, S.M., and Moosmüller, H. (2010). Observations of OM/OC and specific attenuation coefficients (SAC) in ambient fine PM at a rural site in central Ontario, Canada, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 10, 2393-2411. https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/10/2393/2010/

Chan, T.W. and Mozurkewich, M. (2007). Application of absolute principal component analysis to size distribution data: Identification of particle origins, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 7, 887-897. https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/7/887/2007/