Abstract

In this talk, I will give an overview of recent laboratory, field and modelling work in the Pope group from the last few years. The scale of interest ranges from the detailed chemistry and microphysics of individual aerosol particles, up to air pollution in major capital cities.

In collaboration with the Universities of Cambridge, Imperial College London and the Central Laser Facility at the Rutherford Laboratories, we have developed new particle levitation and spectroscopic techniques to probe aerosol chemistry and viscosity in atmospheric and pharmaceutical applications.

City scale pollution has been monitored using a variety of techniques, including remote sensing using the HEAT system to monitor vehicle exhaust emissions, on a vehicle by vehicle basis, allowing for the detection of high emitters. Complementary chaser experiments have been developed where exhaust plumes are pursued in real time using an instrumented mobile laboratory. We have also calibrated low cost particulate matter sensors to cope with the widely varying meteorology of locations worldwide.

Finally, I will discuss the DFID funded www.asap-eastafrica.com project which brings together UK and East African researchers in air pollution, urban planning, economic geography, public health, social sciences and development studies to provide a framework for improved air quality in three East African cities: Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Kampala (Uganda) and Nairobi (Kenya).