William (Bill) Bloss
PROFESSOR of ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE
School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham
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Atmospheric processing affects the current and future composition of our atmosphere, with impacts upon human and environmental health, air quality and climate.
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My group's work improves understanding of the causes of poor air quality. We focus upon the sources of pollutants, and the atmospheric chemical processes which remove some air pollutants and produce others. Our science informs the development of effective policy measures to improve air quality.
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Introduction
Atmospheric processing affects the current and future composition of our atmosphere, and impacts upon human and environmental health, air quality and climate. My research group addresses areas of atmospheric chemistry and clean air science, including
- Understanding the sources and transformations of air pollutants such as Particulate Matter and Nitrogen Dioxide in the urban atmosphere, ranging from the UK to developing megacities such as Delhi
- Quantifying the sources and sinks for atmospheric oxidants: Impacts upon urban air quality and tropospheric composition from new processes such as the formation of Criegee Intermediates, HONO and particulate-mediated renoxification
- Applying air pollution science to improve local and regional air quality policy measures, to ensure these can most effectively and efficiently improve human and environmental health
Work in the group combines atmospheric field measurements, simulation chamber and laboratory studies and numerical modelling approaches; we currently have an emphasis upon developing new integrated approaches to assess chemical processing (a complement to the traditional focus upon species abundance).​
While we are aiming to achieve fundamental understanding of the atmospheric chemical system, our work also takes place in an applied context: providing the knowledge to underpin policy development to alleviate air pollution.
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This is my personal research website. Please also see my official University of Birmingham homepage.
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Research Projects
WM-Air
West Midlands Air Pollution Improvement
WM-Air is a five-year initiative to support the improvement of air quality, and associated health, environmental and economic benefits, in the West Midlands, applying existing air quality, health and economic science to deliver regional impact.
ASAP-Delhi
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Air Pollutant Sources in the Delhi NCR
ASAP-Delhi will provide authoritative assessment of the sources, formation process, burden and characteristics of air pollutants in Delhi, with a philosophy of deriving pollutant source, budget and behaviour insights from direct atmospheric observations.
AIRPRO-Beijing
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Air Pollution Sources and Processes in Beijing
The AIRPOLL and AIRPRO projects will identify the emission sources and chemical transformations giving rise to poor air quality - haze - in Beijing.
SNAABL
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Sources of Nitrous Acid (HONO)
Nitrous acid (HONO) is emitted by vehicles alongside nitrogen dioxide, by soil bacteria, and potentially from aerosol particles - affecting atmospheric oxidation - but the magnitude of these sources if not well understood.
ICOZA
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Ozone is harmful to human health, vegetation and ecosystems. We are developing new approaches to understand ozone formation in the UK and elsewhere
React-SCI
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Reactions of Criegeee Intermediates
Criegee Intermediates (CIs) are newly discovered atmospheric oxidants with the potential to remove SO2 and NO2 more rapidly than previously thought. We are studying the reactions of CIs using large simulation (smog) chambers.
Research Group
Research Group Alumni
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Former PhD Students
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Danny Blenkhorn
Kore Technology Ltd
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Lubna Al-Saadi
Lecturer at the University of Qatar
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Hao Huang
Air Monitors UK, Gloucester​
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Jian Zhong
Postdoc position in Birmingham
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Suad Al-Kindi
Lecturer at Higher College of Technology, Muscat, Oman​
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Salim Alam
Postdoc position at Birmingham​
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Vivien Bright
Postdoc position at Cambridge​
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Kate Faloon
Postdoc positions at Leicester and Leeds / NCAS
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Lucy Concannon
MPhil Student: Moved to Azko Nobel
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Former Postdocs
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Mike Newland
Postdoc positions at UEA and the University of York
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Marie Camredon
Lecturer at LISA, Paris
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Shana Saha
BSP Optical Performance Centre, Birmingham
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Catherine Bale
Postdoc position at the University of Leeds
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Microsoft ExCel - Advanced
Microsoft Word - Advanced
Power Point - Proficient
Adobe - Proficient
French - Mother Tongue
Spanish - Advanced
SKILLS
Biography
Career
Present: Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Head of School,
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of Birmingham.
2001 - 2006: Research Fellow; Lecturer, School of Chemistry, University of Leeds.
1999 - 2001: Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
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1995 - 1999: Ph.D. (Physical Chemistry), University of Cambridge
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1992 - 1995: BA (Natural Sciences – Chemistry), University of Cambridge.
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1991 - 1992: Institute of Oceanographic Sciences, Deacon Laboratory
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Professional
NERC: Core Peer Review College
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Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
Chair, RSC Environmental Chemistry Group (2013 - 2015)
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Co-editor, Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (to 2016)
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