Jesse Kroll is an Associate Professor in MIT’s Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering. His research is in atmospheric chemistry and air pollution, with a focus on the chemistry important to atmospheric particulate matter (aerosols). Specific areas of interest include laboratory studies of oxidation processes and field measurements of atmospheric species using mass spectrometry and low-cost sensors.

Prof. Kroll’s research with the Tata Center involves the application of novel sensors for characterizing air pollutants in a way that is reliable, sensitive, and affordable. Such sensors, whose low cost and low power consumption make them ideal for use in developing countries, can be used in a number of different applications, including optimization of industrial processes, emissions characterization, and routine air quality monitoring. In particular, a suite of sensors for measuring carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will be developed and used to assess a pyrolysis method for converting plastics to fuel oil.