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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

The UV and visible spectra of chlorine peroxide: Constraining the atmospheric photolysis rate
IAK Young, RL Jones, FD Pope
– Geophysical Research Letters
(2014)
41,
1781
Molecular composition of biogenic secondary organic aerosols using ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry: Comparing laboratory and field studies
I Kourtchev, SJ Fuller, C Giorio, RM Healy, E Wilson, I O'Connor, JC Wenger, M McLeod, J Aalto, TM Ruuskanen, W Maenhaut, R Jones, DS Venables, JR Sodeau, M Kulmala, M Kalberer
– Atmospheric chemistry and physics
(2014)
14,
2155
Radical chemistry at night: comparisons between observed and modelled HOx, NO3 and N2O5 during the RONOCO project
D Stone, MJ Evans, H Walker, T Ingham, S Vaughan, B Ouyang, OJ Kennedy, MW McLeod, RL Jones, J Hopkins, S Punjabi, R Lidster, JF Hamilton, JD Lee, AC Lewis, LJ Carpenter, G Forster, DE Oram, CE Reeves, S Bauguitte, W Morgan, H Coe, E Aruffo, C Dari-Salisburgo, F Giammaria, P Di Carlo, DE Heard
– Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
(2014)
14,
1299
Aircraft observations of the lower troposphere above a megacity: Alkyl nitrate and ozone chemistry
E Aruffo, P Di Carlo, C Dari-Salisburgo, F Biancofiore, F Giammaria, M Busilacchio, J Lee, S Moller, J Hopkins, S Punjabi, S Bauguitte, D O'Sullivan, C Percival, M Le Breton, J Muller, R Jones, G Forster, C Reeves, D Heard, H Walker, T Ingham, S Vaughan, D Stone
– Atmospheric Environment
(2014)
94,
479
Aviation and climate change
O Dessens, MO Köhler, HL Rogers, RL Jones, JA Pyle
– Transport Policy
(2014)
34,
14
The first airborne comparison of N2O5 measurements over the UK using a CIMS and BBCEAS during the RONOCO campaign
M Le Breton, A Bacak, JBA Muller, TJ Bannan, O Kennedy, B Ouyang, P Xiao, SJB Bauguitte, DE Shallcross, RL Jones, MJS Daniels, SM Ball, CJ Percival
– Analytical Methods
(2014)
6,
9731
Statistical modelling of pollutant concentration in the urban environment at high spatial and temporal resolution by utilizing data from sensor networks
MD Mueller, D Hasenfratz, O SaUKh, V Bright, I Mead, K Meng, O Popoola, G Stewart, C Hueglin, R Jones
– HARMO 2014 - 16th International Conference on Harmonisation within Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling for Regulatory Purposes, Proceedings
(2014)
374
Statistical modelling of pollutant concentration in the urban environment at high spatial and temporal resolution by utilizing data from sensor networks
– HARMO 2014 - 16th International Conference on Harmonisation within Atmospheric Dispersion Modelling for Regulatory Purposes, Proceedings
(2014)
374
Magma storage, transport and degassing during the 2008-10 summit eruption at Kilauea Volcano, Hawai'i
M Edmonds, IR Sides, DA Swanson, C Werner, RS Martin, TA Mather, RA Herd, RL Jones, MI Mead, G Sawyer, TJ Roberts, AJ Sutton, T Elias
– Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
(2013)
123,
284
Magma storage, transport and degassing during the 2008-10 summit eruption at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i
M Edmonds, IR Sides, DA Swanson, C Werner, RS Martin, TA Mather, RA Herd, RL Jones, MI Mead, G Sawyer, TJ Roberts, AJ Sutton, T Elias
– Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
(2013)
123,
284
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Research Group

Research Interest Group

Telephone number

01223 336466

Email address

rlj1001@cam.ac.uk