Dr. Ben Williams

Biography

Ben Williams has 18 years of experience in environmental sampling, measurement, analysis, and apportionment of air pollution and airborne components. His PhD focused on the development of methods for source apportionment mapping of fugitive particulate matter from industrial facilities using geochemical fingerprinting and environmental forensic approaches. Ben has worked as an environmental consultant for five years, developing and undertaking novel source apportionment investigations for industry regulatory authorities. Between 2018 and 2020, he was seconded to the Environment Agency in England to aid the development of the UK's next-generation air quality monitoring networks. He currently serves as the Principal Investigator for the UKRI-funded Homes Microscope study, which explores airborne microplastics through citizen science projects. Ben co-leads UWE's Biospheric Microplastics Research Cluster and sits on the Committee of the International Network of Environmental Forensics as well as the Editorial Board for Cambridge University Press Journal, Prisms: Plastics. He is also an ad-hoc member of Defra's Air Quality Expert Group, contributing to working groups and the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants. In addition to his research work, Ben co-leads MSc Environmental Management and MSc Environmental Consultancy programmes and teaches undergraduate modules on Managing Air Quality and Practicing Waste Management at the Year 3 level, as well as supervising undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD research projects. He regularly engages with media organisations in Welsh and English, providing consultancy work in various areas.

Research Interests

Experience