Professor William Bloss PhD

William Bloss

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
Address
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
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 ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø 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 and the

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

Liu, Z, Pfrang, C, Sommariva, R, Brean, J, Su, Y, Bloss, W & Fraga, B 2025, '', Physics of Fluids, vol. 37, no. 5, 053336.

Srivastava, D, Saksakulkrai, S, Acton, WJF, Rooney, DJ, Hall, J, Hou, S, Wolstencroft, M, Bartington, S, Harrison, RM, Shi, Z & Bloss, WJ 2025, '', Atmospheric Environment, vol. 343, 120963.

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, '', Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 625-638.

Zhong, J, Li, Y, Bloss, WJ & Harrison, RM 2025, '', Environment international, vol. 196, 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, '', Atmospheric Pollution Research, vol. 16, no. 7, 102476.

Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Jones, S, Zhong, J, Grayson, N, Needle, S, Acton, J, MacKenzie, AR & Bloss, W 2024, '', Climate Services, vol. 36, 100521.

Zhang, Y, Sun, J, Shen, X, Chandani, VL, Du, M, Song, C, Dai, Y, Hu, G, Yang, M, Tilstone, GH, Jordan, T, Dall'Olmo, G, Liu, Q, Nemitz, E, Callaghan, A, Brean, J, Sommariva, R, Beddows, D, Langford, B, Bloss, W, Acton, W, Harrison, R, Dall'Osto, M & Shi, Z 2024, '', Atmospheric Environment, vol. 331, 120538.

Hall, J, Zhong, J, Jowett, S, Mazzeo, A, Thomas, GN, Bryson, JR, Dewar, S, Inglis, N, Wolstencroft, M, Muller, C, Bloss, W, Harrison, R & Bartington, S 2024, '', Environmental Pollution, vol. 356, 123871.

Zhong, J, Stocker, J, Cai, X, Harrison, RM & Bloss, WJ 2024, '', Urban Climate, vol. 55, 101961.

Li, J, Lewis, AC, Hopkins, JR, Andrews, SJ, Murrells, T, Passant, N, Richmond, B, Hou, S, Bloss, WJ, Harrison, RM & Shi, Z 2024, '', Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, vol. 24, no. 10, pp. 6219-6231.

Cowell, N, Baldo, C, Chapman, L, Bloss, W & Zhong, J 2024, '', Meteorological Applications, vol. 31, no. 4, e2220.

Commissioned report

Cork, N, Greenham, S, Ferranti, E, Haskins, B, Harris, D & Bloss, W 2025, . ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.

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, . ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø.

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, . 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.

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 '' EGUsphere.

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