Dr Zaheer Nasar

Areas of expertise

• Air
• Environment and Health
• Environmental Policy
• Hazardous Substances
• Waste Management and Resource Efficiency

Background

Dr Nasar’s research interest lies in physico-chemical and biological characterisation of aerosols, their spatio-temporal dynamics in different environments, societal impacts and developing control measures, with a specific focus on particulate matter (PM) and bioaerosols, across natural and indoor environments. He has extensively investigated aerosol and bioaerosols sources and dynamics under controlled as well as real-world built environments, the relationship between indoor/outdoor air quality and indoor air hygiene control measures in both the developed and developing world (EP/G029881/1, FP7-242497). He is leading Cranfield’s work on the single-particle characterisation of biological materials in PM from different indoor and outdoor environments by using Light-Induced Fluorescence based sensor systems capable of performing a range of measurements on single particles in real-time ( NERC NE/M01163/1). He is Co-I on the Indoor/Outdoor Bioaerosols Interface and Relationships Network (BioAirNet/ NE/V002171/1) and also a member of BSI committee EH/2/5 - Emissions to internal environments as an expert on bioaerosols.

Current activities

Understanding the interplay between air pollution, urban form and demographics -. Work includes, NERC COVID-19 urgency grant (NE/V009737/1: £146,711, Co-I), NERC Defragmenting the fragmented urban landscape (NE/W003031/1: £790,362, Co-I and WP Lead on real world and controlled experiments to investigate the impact of green infrastructure interventions on air quality)

 

Advancing real-time detection and characterisation of aerosols - Leading work on the single-particle characterisation of biological materials in PM from different environmental sources (Wastewater treatment plants, Livestock, Chicken farms, Agricultural, urban and rural) by using Light-Induced Fluorescence based sensor systems (NERC NE/M01163/1); Network manager and Co-I for UKRI SPF Clean Air Programme funded network ‘Indoor/Outdoor Bioaerosols Interface and Relationships Network’ ( NE/V002171/1: £507,471, https://bioairnet.co.uk/ )

 

Indoor air quality – Characterising indoor air pollutant dynamics and exposure in developing and developed world to support air quality management interventions. Work includes. Met office/UKRI grant ‘Indoor air quality emissions and modelling systems’( £ 975,077, Birmingham Lead, Cranfield PI and WP lead on Indoor pollutant inventory); STFC Air Quality Network funded project ‘Sources, behaviour and mitigation strategies influencing indoor air quality’ (£8000; Co-I); Various projects funded through British Council/HEC Pakistan.   

Enabling mitigating the air quality challenges in Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) - Assessing the existing air quality issues and their drivers to support the development of air quality observation capacities to adopt low-cost technological innovations to inform policies and actions to mitigate air pollution for improved environmental and human health in HKH (UKRI GCRF QR 2020/21)

 

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Conference papers
• Books