at 15, she's eloquent, active and scientific - best quality air purifier

Of her many achievements, Otana Jakpor, 15, managed to break the monotonous air atmosphere --
Quality hearing
This is not an easy task.
Usually, environmental activists use the acronym acronyms and the percentage, while industry lobbyists predict that the economy will collapse under the new rules. Then the 5-foot-
African-American high schools have taken a step forward in protecting clean air.
"My name is Otana Jakpor, and I am a senior at Riverside Wood Creek Christian high school," she started at a recent Environmental Protection Agency hearing on sulfur dioxide regulations.
She is wearing a black suit and her 4-year-old sister, jibaiana, is with her mother Karen, who told the panel that the nitrogen produced by the car can cause particulate contamination and asthma.
"I urge EPA to set the best possible standards based on public health considerations and not to succumb to industry pressure to set weaker standards," she concluded . ".
"Remember, the economic cost of asthma deterioration is huge.
The members of the group gave a rare smile, and the audience was full of praise for Otana.
By then, many health and environmental advocates knew her name.
Since she first attended the California aviation resources committee meeting at the age of 13, Otana has expressed her concerns at the meeting and at the federal hearing.
She won the Science Fair and won awards from Discovery Channel and National Assn.
For the advancement of people of color, her research shows how ozone is produced and won the approval of members of Congress and President Bush.
The production of air purifiers affects lung function.
After watching her research report, a representative from the American Lung Association.
The University of Southern California's Center for Environmental Health Sciences recruited Otana.
She is now a volunteer spokesperson for the association and an intern at the center, getting up at 5 every morning to catch the train from Riverside to Los Angeles.
Earlier this summer, at a meeting in Los Angeles, Otana smiled and talked about how the former EPA chief said he would appoint her to take over his position.
Maybe it's not a joke.
Otana's expertise and enthusiasm may qualify her for the position.
It all started with an experiment that Otana did in her living room.
Otana studied her mother's breathing monitor and air purifier and her friends to test breathing function before and after exposure to ozone emitted by some air purifiers.
When they wait for the ozone to come into effect, the subjects fall over the ice cream sundae ice cream, watch a movie or make a gingerbread house.
"She said there would be ice cream," explained Leandra Solis, 18 . ".
Otana presented her self-made experiment to the California Air Resources Commission at a 2007 hearing to discuss how to regulate the ozone emitted by these devices.
The committee has endured dozens of speeches from manufacturers who insist that there is no direct evidence that ozone in the purifier is harmful to health. When 13-year-
Dimitri Stanich, a board spokesman, said the old Otana took a step forward and the audience was looking forward to a "adolescent" speech.
But within minutes, Otana, wearing a signature black suit, easily completed a PowerPoint presentation of the only data displayed on the day, which directly linked the machine to a decline in lung function.
"I tested two-
Time of exposure to ozone
"Producing room air purifiers had no effect on lung function in 24 subjects and found that it had no statistical significance for the whole study population," she began . ".
"In asthma patients, however, fev 1 was down 11% from FEC. . . . Next slide . . .
"It was a surprise," Stanich said . "
"She showed herself with great confidence and quickly began to enter the scientific rigor of the experiment.
She soon made an impression.
"After that meeting, California became the first state in the country to limit the ozone produced by household air purifiers.
Otana knows that asthma can cause pain to a family.
Her mother, Karen, is an obstetrician with severe chronic asthma.
When she was pregnant with Otana's sister, Karen Jacob had to move from her home by the river to Los Angeles, about an hour away, closer to the hospital.
Her husband, Riase, is a lecturer at San Bernardino Valley College and he stays to work.
"I'm just breathing," she said . "
"I just want to breathe.
"Otana is her administrator.
The two spent the summer in an apartment, listening to the CD's "series of unfortunate events in Lemmon SNICK" while eating macaroni and cheese, Karen panted.
At that time, 10-year-old Otana shared baked cookies and lemon strips with her mother.
"I think that's why she's mature," her mother said . ".
"She really grew up that summer.
"This maturity has attracted the attention of many admirers, including politicians, journalists and former teachers.
7 th student Steve Kinney said: "I don't have such a student, I have been teaching for about 30 years
A grade science teacher at Riverside Woodcrest Christian middle school.
She has been modest and diligent for 15 years.
"Jacob received ribbons and medals filled with a box that her mother put on the filing cabinet in the living room.
Otana won't let her mom show it.
"It's strange," she said, wrinkled her nose . "
"Isn't the photo better?
"Otana seems to have been startled by all the attention.
"It's a little strange," she said . "
"I am doing a lot of things that others are doing;
I was just younger.
"The teenager seems confused about the debate among regulators, industry and environmental organizations about the best way to regulate air quality.
"It wasn't until a few years ago that I knew how to make regulations, even air quality regulations," she said . ".
"It's like something I didn't know before is happening on a whole new level, but they are important things.
"Although the public does not often attend hearings to debate air pollution regulations, Otana--
Always the youngest to speak-
She believes that her work will make a difference.
"I like her boldness," her mother said . "
"She's young enough and she doesn't think we can't change things like the older people do. "--amy.
Prairie @ latimes.