Professor William Bloss PhD

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor of Atmospheric Science
Head of College of Life & Environmental Sciences

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)121 414 4173 (Research Office)
Email: w.j.bloss@bham.ac.uk

View my research portal

Address: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

William Bloss is an atmospheric scientist, specialising in air pollution and atmospheric chemistry. His research applies a combination of laboratory studies, field measurements and numerical models to understand the causes of poor air quality, and support development of effective policy measures to protect human and environmental health. Recent work has ranged from Clean Air Science for the West Midlands (WM-Air) to identification of air pollution sources in Delhi and Beijing.

Qualifications

PhD Atmospheric Chemistry - University of Cambridge
BA Natural Sciences (Chemistry) - University of Cambridge

Biography

William (Bill) Bloss completed his undergraduate degree and PhD at the University of Cambridge, the latter concerning laboratory studies of atmospheric halogen oxide reactions. He then worked as a Caltech Postdoctoral Scholar at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, studying stratospheric ozone depletion, and as a Research Fellow and then Lecturer at the University of Leeds, where he worked on field measurements of atmospheric chemistry in the UK, Europe and Antarctica.

He moved to the School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham in 2007. His research determines the causes of poor air quality, and supports development of effective policy measures to protect human and environmental health. Recent work has ranged from Clean Air Science for the West Midlands (WM-Air) to identification of air pollution sources in Delhi and Beijing.

Currently Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of College for Life & Environmental Sciences.

Teaching

BSc Environmental Sciences

MSc Air Pollution Management and Control

Postgraduate supervision

Please contact me if you are interested in studying for a PhD with the group. I'm happy to discuss ideas for PhD research projects and applications for funded fellowship schemes, but please be aware we do not have funding other than for openly advertised positions. For more information see my personal research pages at : http://www.williambloss.com

Research

Atmospheric processing affects the current and future composition of our air, with 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 in the urban atmosphere, ranging from trends in the UK to developing megacities such as Delhi

- Quantifying the sources and sinks for atmospheric oxidants: impacts from processes such as new reactive nitrogen emissions and particulate-mediated renoxification

- Applying air pollution science to improve local and regional air quality policy measures

Our work combines atmospheric field measurements, simulation chamber and laboratory studies and numerical modelling approaches. Fundamental understanding of the atmospheric chemical system is placed in an applied context: working with partners to apply clean air science for improved human and environmental health.

See also my personal research pages and the WM-Air Project

Other activities

Clean Air Advisory Panel for Wales
Strategic Advisory Board, RESAS Scotland
Royal Society of Chemistry: CChem, FRSC
RSC Environmental Chemistry Group (Chair, 2012 – 2014)

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Zhong, J, Gojamgunde, T, Hall, J, Hang, Y, Bartington, SE, Stocker, J, Bloss, WJ & Shi, Z 2026, 'Air quality and health co-benefits of bus electrification: evidence from a UK metropolitan area', Environment international, vol. 208, 110066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2026.110066

Wang, Z, Srivastava, D, Alam, MS, Crilley, LR, Kramer, LJ, Rooney, DJ, Saksakulkrai, S, Khare, M, Ascough, P, Bompard, N, Gulliver, P, Shanks, R, Xu, X, Cash, JM, Di Marco, CF, Langford, B, Nemitz, E, Shivani, Gadi, R, Harrison, RM, Bloss, WJ, Shi, G & Shi, Z 2026, 'Dominant contribution of fossil fuel combustion to carbonaceous aerosol pollution in Delhi: Insights from radiocarbon and organic tracers', Journal of Hazardous Materials, vol. 504, 141289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2026.141289

Liu, Z, Pfrang, C, Sommariva, R, Brean, J, Su, Y, Bloss, W & Fraga, B 2025, 'A coupled fluids-chemistry model for pollutant dynamics indoors—Application to a kitchen scenario', Physics of Fluids, vol. 37, no. 5, 053336. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0270416

Srivastava, D, Saksakulkrai, S, Acton, WJF, Rooney, DJ, Hall, J, Hou, S, Wolstencroft, M, Bartington, S, Harrison, RM, Shi, Z & Bloss, WJ 2025, 'Comparative receptor modelling for the sources of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) at urban sites in the UK', Atmospheric Environment, vol. 343, 120963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120963

Hodgson, JR, Bartington, S, Shi, Z & Bloss, WJ 2025, 'Impact of air quality policy scenarios on pollution inequalities in a UK metropolitan area', Frontiers, vol. 13, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1690825

Cowell, N, Baldo, C, Williams, K, Muller, C, Hou, S, Rooney, D, Zhong, J, Healey, S, Bloss, WJ & Bartington, SE 2025, 'Insights into the utility of small form air quality monitoring in health care environments: lessons learned from the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust', Frontiers in public health, vol. 13, 1634075. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1634075

Liu, X, Zhang, X, Dufresne, M, Wang, T, Wu, L, Lara, R, Seco, R, Monge, M, Yáñez-Serrano, AM, Gohy, M, Petit, P, Chevalier, A, Vagnot, MP, Fortier, Y, Baudic, A, Ghersi, V, Gille, G, Lanzi, L, Gros, V, Simon, L, Héllen, H, Reimann, S, Le Bras, Z, Müller, MJ, Beddows, D, Hou, S, Shi, Z, Harrison, RM, Bloss, W, Dernie, J, Sauvage, S, Hopke, PK, Duan, X, An, T, Lewis, AC, Hopkins, JR, Liakakou, E, Mihalopoulos, N, Zhang, X, Alastuey, A, Querol, X & Salameh, T 2025, 'Measurement report: Exploring the variations in ambient BTEX in urban Europe and their environmental health implications', Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 625-638. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-625-2025

Zhong, J, Li, Y, Bloss, WJ & Harrison, RM 2025, 'Street-scale black carbon modelling over the West Midlands, United Kingdom: Sensitivity test of traffic emission factor adjustments', Environment international, vol. 196, 109265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2025.109265

Srivastava, D, Alam, MS, Rooney, DJ, Crilley, LR, Kramer, L, Saksakulkrai, S, Dhawan, S, Khare, M, Shivan, Gadi, R, Kumar, P, Hama, S, Harrison, RM, Shi, Z & Bloss, WJ 2025, 'The influence of local and regional sources on concentrations of fine particulate matter in Delhi', Atmospheric Pollution Research, vol. 16, no. 7, 102476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2025.102476

Cruz, J, Li, G, Rammah, A, Zhong, J, Shoari, N, Akaraci, S, Hajna, S, Hart, C, Chamberlain, RC, Mitsakou, C, Exley, K, Bloss, W, Fry, R, Cummins, S & Hardelid, P 2025, 'Towards Cleaner Air: PM_2.5Exposure and Disparities Around Childcare Providers in England', Environmental Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.123172

Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Jones, S, Zhong, J, Grayson, N, Needle, S, Acton, J, MacKenzie, AR & Bloss, W 2024, 'An open access approach to mapping climate risk and vulnerability for decision-making: A case study of Birmingham, United Kingdom', Climate Services, vol. 36, 100521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2024.100521

Commissioned report

Cork, N, Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Haskins, B, Harris, D & Bloss, W 2025, Mapping climate risk & vulnerability onto the West Midlands transport network: A guidance document produced by the WM-Air project. University of Birmingham.

Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Cork, N, Jones, S, Zhong, J, Haskins, B, Higgins, W, Grayson, N, Needle, S, Acton, J, MacKenzie, AR & Bloss, W 2024, Mapping Climate Risk and Vulnerability in the West Midlands: A guidance document produced by the WM-Air project. University of Birmingham. https://doi.org/10.25500/epapers.bham.00004371

Conference contribution

Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Cork, N, Jones, S, Zhong, J, Haskins, B, Grayson, N, Needle, S, Acton, J, MacKenzie, R & Bloss, W 2025, Scaling up from local to regional: progress in mapping climate risk and vulnerability across the West Midlands for decision-making. in T Blanuša & M Gush (eds), Proceedings of the III International Symposium on Greener Cities: Improving Ecosystem Services in a Climate-Changing World (GreenCities2024). 1 edn, Acta Horticulturae, vol. 1429, International Society for Horticultural Science, Wisley, Woking, UK, pp. 439-448. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1429.53

Preprint

Liu, X, Zhang, X, Dufresne, M, Wang, T, Wu, L, Lara, R, Seco, R, Monge, M, Yáñez-Serrano, AM, Gohy, M, Petit, P, Chevalier, A, Vagnot, M-P, Fortier, Y, Baudic, A, Ghersi, V, Gille, G, Lanzi, L, Gros, V, Simon, L, Hellen, H, Reimann, S, Bras, ZL, Müller, MJ, Beddows, D, Hou, S, Shi, Z, Harrison, RM, Bloss, W, Dernie, J, Sauvage, S, Hopke, PK, Duan, X, An, T, Lewis, A, Hopkins, J, Liakakou, E, Mihalopoulos, N, Zhang, X, Alastuey, A, Querol, X & Salameh, T 2024 'Exploring the variations in ambient BTEX in urban Europe and its environmental health implications' EGUsphere. https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2309

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Air Quality & Human Health

Sources of air pollutants: Traffic emissions

Air Pollution in Developing Megacities: Beijing, Delhi

Air pollution

Atmospheric science

Clean air

Expertise

Air Quality & Human Health; Sources of air pollutants: Traffic emissions; Air Pollution in Developing Megacities: Beijing, Delhi