Sonia Arriaga facts for kids
Sonia Lorena Arriaga García is a Mexican scientist who studies the environment. She is a professor and researcher at the Potosino Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IPICYT). She is also a top member of the National System of Researchers (SNI). Dr. Arriaga studies how to clean up air pollution. Her work focuses on treating harmful gases called volatile organic compounds (VOCs). She also looks at tiny particles in the air, like germs, called bioaerosols. She uses special methods to clean these, including advanced oxidation processes.
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Education and Career Journey
Sonia Arriaga started her journey by earning a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. She got this degree from the Faculty of Chemical Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí in 1999. She then continued her studies at the same university. In 2001, she earned her master's degree in sciences.
She went on to get her PhD in Chemical Engineering. This was at the Metropolitan Autonomous University in Iztapalapa. During her PhD, she spent time studying in Sweden at Lund University. There, she learned about cleaning up certain harmful gases using special bioreactors. Her main PhD work was about using biofilters to clean air from these gases. She finished her PhD in 2005. That same year, she joined IPICYT as a postdoctoral researcher. She worked on a project about turning organic waste into methane and hydrogen gas.
In 2006, she became a senior professor and researcher at IPICYT. She joined their Environmental Sciences Division. In 2014, she visited Aalborg University in Denmark. There, she studied ways to identify tiny living things like bacteria. Since 2019, she has also been a professor at the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS) in Quebec, Canada.
Since 2021, she has been on a special research leave at the National University of Ireland. She is working there on how to check for tiny airborne particles inside buildings.
What Dr. Arriaga Researches
Dr. Arriaga's main research areas are biotechnology and environmental engineering. She uses math to understand how biofilters clean the air. In her lab, they work on cleaning indoor air pollutants. One example is formaldehyde, a common chemical found in homes. Another area of her research is treating bioaerosols. These are tiny living particles in the air, like bacteria or mold spores. She uses advanced oxidation processes to clean them.
She also studies how to use single-phase biological bioreactors. These help to clean up harmful gases. They can also produce valuable proteins and biopolymers. Biopolymers are natural plastics.
Her important research projects include:
- Monitoring air inside furnaces (2019).
- A special course between Mexico and Quebec (2018).
- A project to clean harmful gases using a special oxidation system. This system combines UV light, ozone, and titanium dioxide with a biological system. The National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) supported this project in 2011 and 2015.
- Finding and cleaning harmful gases, hydrocarbons, and pesticides in Guanajuato, Mexico. This project used a biofiltration system with special reusable materials. CONACYT also funded this project in 2007.
Cleaning Air Pollution
Dr. Arriaga's lab at IPICYT checks for indoor air pollutants. They especially study bioaerosols. These are tiny biological materials floating in the air. They can include spores, viruses, bacteria, pollen, and fungi. These tiny particles can cause breathing problems and allergies.
As part of this research, they checked the air in a children's doctor's office. They found that the amount of bioaerosols was 10,000 times higher than what the World Health Organization says is safe.
Besides finding and identifying bioaerosols, Dr. Arriaga also works on ways to treat them. Her team develops photocatalytic systems. These systems use light to clean the air. They are making these systems work with visible light. This makes them more eco-friendly. These technologies also aim to turn harmful emissions into useful products. These products can be biopolymers or proteins.
Research on COVID-19
In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Arriaga shared important information. She explained through Mexican news that the SARS-CoV-2 virus could stay in the air for up to three hours. She also said it could live on surfaces like plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours. This showed that the virus could spread through the air. Because of this, she advised people to wear masks. She also stressed the importance of good ventilation in places with sick patients.
Awards and Special Recognition
Dr. Sonia Arriaga has received many awards throughout her career.
- 2000: She won an award for being the best student in her chemical engineering class of 1994. This was at the Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí.
- 2005: She received the Medal for University Merit from the Metropolitan Autonomous University-Iztapalapa.
- Since 2007: She has been a member of the National System of Researchers. She reached Level III, its highest rank, in 2022.
- Since 2016: She has been a regular member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.
- 2019: She won the Potosino Science and Technology Award. This was in the young researcher category for engineering sciences.
- 2022: She was promoted to Level 3 in the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores. This is the highest level in this important system.
See also
In Spanish: Sonia Arriaga para niños
