The Air We Breathe and How To Make It Safe

The air around us is filled with chemicals.  Some are good chemicals like the smell of baking bread and some are harmful like a natural gas leak or the formaldehyde coming from the cushions of our furniture.   Many people don’t know that the “clean” outside air in an average US city contains 70 chemicals, many of which cause illness.  Futhermore, the US Environmental Protection Agency has documented that the “clean” air in our homes is often five times worse than the outside air due to the chemicals that emanate from the materials in our homes.  Worldwide approximately 7M people die each year as a direct result of air pollution.  Until now, there has been no economically viable means of detecting hazardous chemicals. 

NevadaNano has solved this problem by developing a silicon chip that analyzes and identifies the chemicals in the air.  Using silicon allows the system to be inexpensive and suitable for use in our workplaces, offices, homes, cell phones and distributed across our cities as part of the Internet of Things.  Measurement of these chemicals allows the user to improve the air quality through filtration or remediation of the source of contamination thereby improving our health and safety.  

Ralph Whitten is President and co-founder of NevadaNano, based in Sparks, NV.  Ralph is a veteran of the semiconductor industry in Silicon Valley, with previous experience with four innovative start-up companies, specializing in the field of MEMS – MicroElectrical Mechanical Systems that have enabled devices like miniature microphones in cell phones, air bag sensors in our cars and position sensors in the Wii games.   He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.  He has two grown children and lives in Reno with his high school sweetheart and wife of 37 years.