Our research group uses a combination of field measurements, laboratory experiments and modelling to investigate some of the fluxes and chemical processes that occur within the lower atmosphere and the impacts of these on the terrestrial environment and on human health. Current areas of research, most in collaboration, include:

• Characterization of airborne particulate matter from different microenvironments of exposure to determine the sources and chemical evolution of atmospheric particles, and for application to epidemiological studies and biological toxicity assays
• Particulate matter and NO₂ measurement method validation and intercomparison, and the modelling of small-scale spatial and temporal variations in urban air pollution for estimating human exposure
• High resolution modelling of atmospheric chemistry, with particular focus on ozone and particulate matter
• Measurement of the magnitude and controlling factors on methyl bromide emission fluxes from terrestrial systems such as salt marshes, woodland soils and decaying leaf and woody litter
• Measurement of the concentrations and emission fluxes of volatile organic compounds (natural and anthropogenic) using gas chromatography and proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry combined with eddy covariance
• Speciation of organic nitrogen compounds in rainwater and in the gas-phase, and the relationship with dissolved and gaseous inorganic nitrogen
• Quantification of the kinetics of gas-to-liquid transfer of aromatic VOC into aqueous solution

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1. Drewer, J., Heal, K.V., Smith, K. and Heal, M.R. (2008) Methyl bromide fluxes to the atmosphere from temperate woodland ecosystems. Global Change Biology 14, 2539-2547, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01676.x
2. Heal, M.R. (2008) The effect of absorbent preparation method on precision and accuracy of ambient nitrogen dioxide measurement by Palmes passive diffusion tube. J. Environ. Monitor. 10, 1363-1369, doi:10.1039/b811230d
3. Heal, M.R., Harrison, M.A.J. and Cape, J.N. (2007) Aqueous-phase nitration of phenol by N₂O₅ and ClNO₂. Atmos. Environ. 41, 3515-3520.
4. Freney, E.J., Heal, M.R., Donovan, R.J., et al. (2006) A single-particle characterization of a mobile Versatile Aerosol Concentration Enrichment System for exposure studies, Particle & Fibre Toxicology 3:8.
5. Drewer, J., Heal, M.R., Heal, K.V. and Smith, K. (2006) Temporal and spatial variation in methyl bromide emissions from a salt marsh. Geophys. Res. Letts. 33, L16808, doi:10.1029/2006GL026814.
6. Heal, M.R., Hibbs, L.R., Agius, R.M. and Beverland, I.J. (2005) Total and water soluble trace metal content of urban background PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and Black Smoke in Edinburgh, UK, Atmos. Environ. 39, 1417-1430.
7. Heal, M.R., Hibbs, L.R., Agius, R.M. and Beverland, I.J. (2005) Interpretation of variations in fine, coarse and black smoke particulate matter concentrations in a Northern European city. Atmos. Environ. 39, 3711-3718.