Christian Chung, FCLC 2025

Major: Natural Science

Bio: Christian Chung is a senior at Fordham University pursuing a B.S. in Natural Science, Chemical Sciences. He has clinical and research experience, including an internship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, work as an optical assistant, and ER volunteering and shadowing. As the Founder and Vice President of the Fordham Lincoln Center Pre-Med Society, he has demonstrated leadership in supporting pre-med students. Additionally, he has been active in community service, tutoring students and assisting in vision screenings. Christian plans to pursue medical school, with a strong interest in osteopathic medicine.

Title of Research: A Comparative Analysis of Nitrogen Dioxide and Particulate Matter Levels in urban Pennsylvania, Suburban Pennsylvania, and the Rocky Mountain National Park

Mentor: Jason Morris, Ph.D., Natural Science

Abstract: The objective of this study is to compare the levels of nitrogen dioxide [NO2 ] and particulate matter [PM] found in the Rocky Mountains to that of suburban and metropolitan areas in Pennsylvania. We hoped to identify whether the millions of tourists that visit the national park throughout the summer are causing car pollutant levels to mimic that of an urban city. We used Aeroqual s500 air quality monitors to analyze the level of NO2 and PM at one of the entrances to the park, as well as two areas in Pennsylvania for 8 weeks. If the levels of pollutants are more similar to urban Pennsylvania than to suburban Pennsylvania, then we can conclude that we are not best preserving the park from environmental threats. This data could encourage parks to charge a premium for combustion engine cars so that tourists either opt to carpool, rent an EV, or simply take the shuttle bus during their trip. While our data showed higher pollutant levels in urban Pennsylvania compared to suburban Pennsylvania, our results for the Rocky Mountain National Park were inconclusive due to the high altitude winds experienced at the RMNP. The instruments are highly sensitive and when exposed to high winds they do not provide accurate readings. We are currently continuing our research by analyzing various soil samples obtained from these three areas to compare the nitrogen levels found in the soil.