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Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry

 

Professor of Atmospheric Science

Observational studies of atmospheric structure and photochemistry: from climate change to air pollution and human health

In our group we use a wide range of measurement and modelling techniques to study the chemical composition and physical structure of the earth’s atmosphere.

The atmosphere controls much of the complex environment in which we live. Ozone in the stratosphere protects us from harmful shortwave solar radiation, while changes in CO2 and other greenhouse gases are influencing the world’s changing climate. In the troposphere, chemical processes act to remove many unwanted species, while at the same time contributing to poor air quality, impacting the health of many, and leading to millions of premature deaths, particularly in the developing world. 

 

Low cost sensors for monitoring urban pollution

We develop low cost air quality sensors which allow us to probe urban pollution in unprecedented detail.  You can find out more by watching our short video above. 

 NO and NO2 levels in Cambridge on one afternoon, illustrating how complex urban air pollution can be.

As part of our research we are demonstrating how these low cost air quality sensor networks can be used to address important scientific and political questions. Studies include low cost sensor network deployments at Heathrow airport, in Beijing and in Delhi. 

Results from a recent sensor network deployment at Heathrow Airport, used to both quantify airport emissions and provide a prediction of the likely impact of an airport expansion.

Air quality and human health 

We use portable air quality sensors to test the linkages between exposure to pollution and health impacts. These units allow us to develop activity models which we can use to predict air pollution dose far more accurately than before.  They are now used for studies of Chronic Obsructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in London, and wider health impacts (Beijing and elsewhere).

A portable air quality sensor used by the group, which includes GPS and accelerometers, with illustration of measurements.

Other projects

Other projects within the group range from using cavity ringdown spectroscopy and its variants for making ultrasensitive (sub-ppt level) airborne and ground based measurements of radical species (using the FAAM aircraft), balloon borne measurements of GHGs, volcanic emissions and many more.

Selected Presentations

AAMG Presentation 2016

Further information

If you are interested in joining us as a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher, please contact me at rlj1001@cam.ac.uk.  

Publications

Urban emission inventory optimisation using sensor data, an urban air quality model and inversion techniques
D Carruthers, A Stidworthy, D Clarke, J Dicks, R Jones, I Leslie, OAM Popoola, M Seaton
– International Journal of Environment and Pollution
(2020)
66,
252
Modelling the effect of the 2018 summer heatwave and drought on isoprene emissions in a UK woodland.
F Otu-Larbi, CG Bolas, V Ferracci, Z Staniaszek, RL Jones, Y Malhi, NRP Harris, O Wild, K Ashworth
– Global Change Biology
(2020)
26,
2320
Modelling the effect of the 2018 summer heatwave and drought on isoprene emissions in a UK woodland
R Jones, CG Bolas, Z Staniaszek, F Otu-Larbi, V Ferracci, Y Malhi, NRP Harris, O Wild, K Ashworth
– Global Change Biology
(2019)
Intercomparison of nitrous acid (HONO) measurement techniques in a megacity (Beijing)
LR Crilley, LJ Kramer, B Ouyang, J Duan, W Zhang, S Tong, M Ge, K Tang, M Qin, P Xie, MD Shaw, AC Lewis, A Mehra, TJ Bannan, SD Worrall, M Priestley, A Bacak, H Coe, J Allan, CJ Percival, OAM Popoola, RL Jones, WJ Bloss
– Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
(2019)
12,
6449
Improved aerosol correction for OMI tropospheric NO<sub>2</sub> retrieval over East Asia: constraint from CALIOP aerosol vertical profile
L Chatzidiakou, A Krause, OAM Popoola, A Di Antonio, M Kellaway, Y Han, FA Squires, T Wang, H Zhang, Q Wang, Y Fan, S Chen, M Hu, JK Quint, B Barratt, FJ Kelly, T Zhu, RL Jones
– Atmos Meas Tech
(2019)
12,
1
Characterising low-cost sensors in highly portable platforms to quantify personal exposure in diverse environments
L Chatzidiakou, A Krause, OAM Popoola, A Di Antonio, M Kellaway, Y Han, FA Squires, T Wang, H Zhang, Q Wang, Y Fan, S Chen, M Hu, JK Quint, B Barratt, FJ Kelly, T Zhu, RL Jones
– Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
(2019)
12,
4643
Toward a unified terminology of processing levels for low-cost air-quality sensors
P Schneider, A Bartonova, N Castell, FR Dauge, M Gerboles, GSW Hagler, C Hüglin, RL Jones, S Khan, AC Lewis, B Mijling, M Müller, M Penza, L Spinelle, B Stacey, M Vogt, J Wesseling, RW Williams
– Environmental Science & Technology
(2019)
53,
8485
iDirac: a field-portable instrument for long-term autonomous measurements of isoprene and selected VOCs
CG Bolas, V Ferracci, AD Robinson, MI Mead, MSM Nadzir, JA Pyle, RL Jones, NRP Harris
– Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions
(2019)
1
Associations among particulate matter, hazardous air pollutants and methane emissions from the Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility during the 2015 blowout
DA Garcia-Gonzales, O Popoola, VB Bright, SE Paulson, Y Wang, RL Jones, M Jerrett
– Environment international
(2019)
132,
104855
Introduction to the special issue "In-depth study of air pollution sources and processes within Beijing and its surrounding region (APHH-Beijing)"
Z Shi, T Vu, S Kotthaus, RM Harrison, S Grimmond, S Yue, T Zhu, J Lee, Y Han, M Demuzere, RE Dunmore, L Ren, D Liu, Y Wang, O Wild, J Allan, W Joe Acton, J Barlow, B Barratt, D Beddows, WJ Bloss, G Calzolai, D Carruthers, DC Carslaw, Q Chan, L Chatzidiakou, Y Chen, L Crilley, H Coe, T Dai, R Doherty, F Duan, P Fu, B Ge, M Ge, D Guan, JF Hamilton, K He, M Heal, D Heard, C Nicholas Hewitt, M Hollaway, M Hu, D Ji, X Jiang, R Jones, M Kalberer, FJ Kelly, L Kramer, B Langford, C Lin, AC Lewis, J Li, W Li, H Liu, J Liu, M Loh, K Lu, F Lucarelli, G Mann, G McFiggans, MR Miller, G Mills, P Monk, E Nemitz, F O'Connor, B Ouyang, PI Palmer, C Percival, O Popoola, C Reeves, AR Rickard, L Shao, G Shi, D Spracklen, D Stevenson, Y Sun, Z Sun, S Tao, S Tong, Q Wang, W Wang, X Wang, X Wang, Z Wang, L Wei, L Whalley, X Wu, Z Wu, P Xie, F Yang, Q Zhang, Y Zhang, Y Zhang, M Zheng
– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
(2019)
19,
7519
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Research Group

Research Interest Group

Telephone number

01223 336466

Email address

rlj1001@cam.ac.uk