Martin Williams (environmental scientist)

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Martin Lloyd Williams (22 November 1947–21 September 2020) was a Welsh chemist and environmental scientist who made important contributions to the science of air pollution and its incorporation into public policy in the United Kingdom.[1][2][3] Williams was one of the first scientists to recognize the harmful health effects of ground-level ozone, in papers published in Nature in the mid-1970s,[4][5] and one of the first to study vehicle emissions in the real world (rather than under artificial laboratory conditions).[1][2] He also established the first systematic programme to produce inventories of UK national air pollution emissions.[3]

Born in Mountain Ash, Williams studied chemistry at University College, Cardiff, took a Ph.D. at Bristol University, and held research fellowships at the University of British Columbia and the University of Bradford. In 1975, he became a government scientist at the Department of Industry's Warren Spring Laboratory in Stevenage, where he headed the air pollution division, before moving to the Department of Environment in 1993.[1] In 2005, he became head of the air quality and science programme at the UK government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, where he focused on translating air pollution science into effective government policy, and developed three national air quality strategies for the UK.[1] In 2010, he returned to academia as a professor and Head of Science Policy and Epidemiology in the Environmental Research Group at King's College London,[1] where his research interests included the connections between climate change and air pollution.[6][7][8]

Apart from his government and academic appointments, he was chair of the scientific arm of the UN Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP), co-chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) working group on air quality guidelines, an air quality adviser to the US Environmental Protection Agency, and a member of the UK government's two scientific, air pollution advisory committees (AQEG and COMEAP).[2][9] In 2019, he became one of three Clean Air Champions (alongside Sir Stephen Holgate and Jenny Baverstock) appointed by the UK government's Clean Air programme, tasked with using scientific research to inform practical solutions to the problem of air pollution.[3][10] Shortly before his death, the Institute of Air Quality Management invited him to be its inaugural Honorary Fellow.[11]

Williams died in 2020 of the heart condition hemopericardium.[1]

Selected publications[]

  • Williams, Martin (2009). "The Policy Response to Improving Air Quality". In Hester, Ronald; Harrison, Roy (eds.). Air Quality in Urban Environments. Great Britain: Royal Society of Chemistry. pp. 129–145. ISBN 9781847559074. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  • Williams, Martin (2014). "Atmospheric Dispersal of Pollutants and the Modelling of Air Pollution". In Harrison, Roy (ed.). Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control. Great Britain: Royal Society of Chemistry. pp. 225–243. ISBN 9781894736480.
  • Walton, Heather; Dajnak, David; Beevers, Sean; Williams, Martin; Watkiss, Paul; Hunt, Alistair (2015). Understanding the health impacts of air pollution in London. London: Transport for London/Greater London Authority/King's College, London. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  • Müezzinoğlu, Aysen; Williams, Martin, eds. (1992). Industrial Air Pollution Assessment and Control: Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Industrial Air Pollution: Assessment and Control held at Akbük/Didim-Aydin, Turkey from April 29 to Mai 10, 1991. Berlin: Springer. ISBN 3540530983. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  • Fowler, David; Pyle, John; Sutton, Mark; Williams, Martin (2020). "Global Air Quality, past present and future: an introduction". Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A. 378 (2183). doi:10.1098/rsta.2019.0323. PMID 32981444. Retrieved 1 February 2022.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Harvey, Fiona (27 October 2020). "Martin Williams Obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Kelly, Frank. "Obituary: Professor Martin Williams". Imperial College, London. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Professor Martin Williams". Clean Air Programme. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  4. ^ Stewart, H; Sullivan, E; Williams, M (14 October 1976). "Ozone levels in central London". Nature. 263: 582–584. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
  5. ^ Apling, A; Sullivan, E; Williams, M; Ball, D; Bernard, R; Derwent, R; Eggleton, A; Hampton, L; Waller, R (1 October 1977). "Ozone concentrations in South-East England during the summer of 1976". Nature. 269: 569–573.
  6. ^ Shindekk, D; Kuylenstierna, J; Vignati, E; van Dingenen, R; Annen, M; Klimont, Z; Anenberg, S; Muller, N; Janssens-Maenhout, G; Raes, F; Schwartz, J; Faluvegi, G; Pozzoli, L; Kupiainen, K; Höglund-Isaksson, L; Emberson, L; Streets, D; Ramanathan, V; Hicks, K; Oanh, K; Milly, G; Williams, M; Demkine, V; Fowler, D (13 January 2012). "Simultaneously Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change and Improving Human Health and Food Security". Science. 335 (6065): 183–189. doi:10.1126/science.1210026. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  7. ^ Anenberg, Susan; Schwartz, Joel; Shindell, Drew; Amann, Markus; Faluvegi, Greg; Klimont, Zbigniew; Janssens-Maenhout, Greet; Pozzoli, Luca; Van Dingenen, Rita; Vignati, Elisabetta; Emberson, Lisa; Muller, Nicholas; West, Jason; Williams, Martin; Demkine, Volodymyr; Hicks, Kevin; Kuylenstierna, Johan; Raes, Frank; Ramanathan, Veerabhadran (1 June 2012). "Global Air Quality and Health Co-benefits of Mitigating Near-Term Climate Change through Methane and Black Carbon Emission Controls". Science. 13 (1). doi:10.1289/ehp.1104301. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  8. ^ Williams, M; Beevers, S; Kitwirron, N; Dajnak, D; Walton, H; Lott, M; Pye, S; Fecht, D; Toledano, M; Holland, M (2018). Public Health Air Pollution Pathway Options to Meet the 2020 Climate Change Target - A Modelling Study. London: King's College.
  9. ^ Lewis, Alastair; Monks, Paul (2 October 2020). "Tribute to Professor Martin Williams". UK Air. Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Professor Martin Williams appointed as Clean Air Champion to spearhead major programme tackling air pollution". King's College, London. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  11. ^ Nelson, N; Holman, C. "Obituary: Professor Martin Williams". Institute of Air Quality Management. Retrieved 25 January 2022.

External links[]

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