Faculty

Professor Patel has earned his PhD in 2020 from India's prestigious Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad. Following his doctorate, he pursued postdoctoral research for nearly five years at esteemed institutions, including the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in the United States of America, Stockholm University in Sweden, and PRL in India.

Professor Patel’s core research area is Aerosols’ oxidative potential, a key metric that have been applied to empathise the possible mechanisms behind the health effects caused due to particles. Professor Patel pioneered aerosol oxidative potential research in India, having authored dozens of articles on the subject. As a chemist and experimentalist, he possesses extensive experience with a wide array of analytical techniques. He has been involved in RI-URBANS inter-comparison of oxidative potential protocols from the European Commission.

Professor Patel's contributions to the ISRO-NASA programme, "Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer," as well as his participation in a NASA-funded mission focused on Kīlauea, earned him two prestigious “NASA Group Achievement Award”.

Early in his career, he was honoured with two consecutive Best Oral Presentation Awards at India's esteemed national conference, the Indian Aerosol Science and Technology Association (IASTA). His research has frequently been featured in leading Indian newspapers. He serves as a reviewer for various international peer-reviewed journals, including those published by Elsevier, Cell Press, and Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

Atmospheric aerosols, when inhaled, can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the respiratory system, a process hypothesised to be a primary mechanism underlying the health effects associated with air pollution. Some epidemiologists and atmospheric chemists argue that assays related to aerosol-induced ROS, oxidative potential, and inflammation provide a more accurate representation of population-level disease outcomes than merely considering aerosol mass. Furthermore, the causative agents present in atmospheric aerosols and the mechanisms underlying these health outcomes, remain areas of active investigation.

The novelty of aerosol oxidative potential research extends beyond traditional air quality studies that correlate these factors with public health. Professor Patel’s research has concentrated on the exploration of ROS formation from reactive aerosols. He currently aims to address several critical questions essential for preventing population exposure to various toxic species: (I) Which aerosol species are most responsible for toxicity and disease? (II) What are the sources of these toxic species in air and water? (III) What mechanisms drive their harmful effects? (IV) In the case of atmospheric aerosol species, what role do meteorology and atmospheric chemistry play in exacerbating their toxic effects? (V) What future steps and recommendations can be made to enhance solutions for protecting human health from such exposures?

Professor Patel is particularly interested in collaborating with epidemiologists to explore how the kinetics of ROS formation from aerosol components correlate with inflammatory responses, using human samples to further this research.

Professor Patel’s interdisciplinary approach extends to examining the interactions between atmospheric aerosols and clouds, with a special focus on hydroxyl radicals (·OH), the dominant atmospheric oxidant, and their role in cloud chemistry. Additionally, he has conducted work on Brown Carbon (BrC) aerosols, which, like Black Carbon (BC), are important absorbing species influencing the Earth’s climate.

Published articles in peer-reviewed journals (Peer Reviewed)

• Patel, A., Aggarwal, S., Bard, L., Durif, O., Introna, M., Juárez-Facio, A. T., Tu, M., Elihn, K., Nozière, B., Olofsson, U., Steimer, S. S. (2024). Gaseous emissions from brake wear can form secondary particulate matter. Scientific Reports – Nature. Just Accepted
• Patel, A. and Rastogi, N. (2023). Oxidative Potential of Atmospheric Aerosols over Different Regions of India and Surrounding Oceans. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 7(12): 2582–2592. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.3c00250
• *Singh, A., *Patel, A., Rangu, S., Tripathi, S. N., Rastogi, N. (2023). Wintertime oxidative potential of PM2.5 over a big urban city in the central Indo-Gangetic Plain. Science of the Total Environment, 905 (2023) 167155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167155
• Patel, A., Rastogi, N., Rangu, S., Dave, J., Borgohain, A., Kundu, S. S. (2022). Oxidative potential and hydroxyl radical generation capacity of ambient PM2.5 over a high-altitude site in northeastern Himalaya: Role of long-range transport. Atmospheric Environment, 287: 119263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119263
• Patel, A., Rangu, S., Rastogi, N. (2021). Remarkably High Oxidative Potential of Atmospheric PM2.5 Coming from a Large-Scale Paddy-Residue Burning over the Northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plain. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 5(9): 2442−2452 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00125
• Patel, A., and Rastogi, N. (2021). Oxidative Potential of Ambient PM and Related Health Endpoints over South Asia: A Review. Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment, 15(1): 1–11. https://doi.org/10.5572/ajae.2020.123
• Patel, A., Rastogi, N., Gandhi, U., Khatri, N. (2021). Oxidative Potential of Atmospheric PM10 at Five Different Sites of Ahmedabad, a Big City in Western India. Environmental Pollution, 268: 115909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115909
• Patel, A. and Rastogi, N. (2020). Chemical Composition and Oxidative Potential of Atmospheric PM10 over the Arabian Sea. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 4: 112–121. DOI: 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.9b00285
• Patel, A. and Rastogi, N. (2018). Seasonal variability in chemical composition and oxidative potential of ambient aerosol over a high altitude site in western India. Science of the Total Environment, 644: 1268–1276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.030
• Patel, A. and Rastogi, N. (2018). Oxidative potential of ambient fine aerosol over a semi-urban site in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Atmospheric Environment, 175: 127–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.12.004
• Dominutti, P., Jaffrezo, J., … Patel A., … and Uzu, G (2024). Prerprint. An interlaboratory comparison to quantify oxidative potential measurement in aerosol particles: challenges and recommendations for harmonization. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques. https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-2024-107
• Devaprasad, M., Rastogi, N., Satish, R., Patel, A., Dabhi, A., Shivam, A., Bhushan, R., Meena R. (2023). Dual carbon isotope-based brown carbon aerosol characteristics at a high-altitude site in the northeastern Himalayas: Role of biomass burning. Science of the Total Environment, 912(2024): 169451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169451
• Devaprasad, M., Rastogi, N., Satish, R., Patel, A., Singh, A., Dabhi, A., Shivam, A., Bhushan, R., Meena R. (2023). Characterization of paddy-residue burning derived carbonaceous aerosols using dual carbon isotopes. Science of the Total Environment, 864(2023) 161044. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161044
• Vernier, H., Rastogi, N., Liu, H., Pandit, A. K., Bedka, K., Patel, A., Ratnam, M. V., Kumar, B. S., Zhang, B., Gadhavi, H., Wienhold, F. G., Berthet, G., Vernier, J.-P. (2022). Exploring the inorganic composition of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer using medium-duration balloon flights. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 22(18), 12675–12694, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12675-2022
• Jangirh, R., Ahlawat, S., Arya, R., Mondal, A., Yadav, L., Kotnala, G., Yadav, P., Choudhary, N., Rani, M., Banoo, R., Rai, A., Saharan, U. S., Rastogi, N., Patel, A., Shivani., Gadi, R., Saxena, P., Vijayan, N., Sharma, C., Sharma, S. K., Mandal, T. K. (2021). Gridded distribution of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) and their chemical characterization over Delhi during winter. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-16572-w
• Gandhi, U., Khatri, N., Brahmbhatt, V., Jha, A. K., Patel, A., Rastogi, N. (2021). Health impact assessment from exposure to trace metals present in atmospheric PM10 at Ahmedabad, a big city in western India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 193:663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-021-09452-w
• Ghosh, A., Patel, A., Rastogi, N., Sharma, S. K., Mandal, T. K., Chatterjee, A. (2021). Size-segregated aerosols over a high altitude Himalayan and a tropical urban metropolis in Eastern India: Chemical characterization, light absorption, role of meteorology and long range transport. Atmospheric Environment, 254 (118398). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2021.118398
• Tripathi, N., Sahu, L. K., Singh, A., Yadav, R., Patel, A., Patel, K., Meenu P. (2020). Elevated levels of biogenic non-methane hydrocarbons in the marine boundary layer of the Arabian Sea during the inter-monsoon. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124, e2020JD032869. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD032869
• Rastogi, N., Agnihotri, R., Sawlani, R., Patel, A., Babu, S. S., and Satish, R.V. (2020). Chemical and Isotopic Characteristics of PM10 over the Bay of Bengal: Effects of Continental Outflow on a Marine Environment. Science of the Total Environment, 138438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138438
• Vernier, J. P., Kalnajs, L., Diaz, J. A., Reese, T., Corrales, E., Alan, A., Vernier, H., Holland, L., Patel, A., Rastogi, N., Wienhold, F., Carn, S., Krotkov, N., and Murray, J. (2020). VolKilau: Volcano rapid response balloon campaign during the 2018 Kilauea eruption. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0011.1
• Vernier, J. P., Fairlie, T. D., Deshler, T., Venkat Ratnam, M., Gadhavi, H., Kumar, B. S., Natarajan, M., Pandit, A. K., Akhil Raj, S. T., Hemanth Kumar, A., Jayaraman, A., Singh, A. K., Rastogi, N., Sinha, P. R., Kumar, S., Tiwari, S., Wegner, T., Baker, N., Vignelles, D., Stenchikov, G., Shevchenko, I., Smith, J., Bedka, K., Kesarkar, A., Singh, V., Bhate, J., Ravikiran, V., Durga Rao, M., Ravindrababu, S., Patel, A., Vernier, H., Wienhold, F. G., Liu, H., Knepp, T. N., Thomason, L., Crawford, J., Ziemba, L., Moore, J., Crumeyrolle, S., Williamson, M., Berthet, G., Jégou, F., Renard, J. B. (2018). BATAL: The Balloon Measurement Campaigns of the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 955-973. DOI:10.1175/BAMS-D-17- 0014.1
• Rastogi, N. and Patel, A. (2017). Oxidative Potential of Ambient Aerosols: an Indian Perspective. Current Science, 112: 35– 39. DOI: 10.18520/cs/v112/i01/35-39
• Singh, A., Rastogi, N., Patel, A., Satish, R. V., Singh, D. (2016). Size-Segregated Characteristics of Carbonaceous Aerosols over the Northwestern Indo-Gangetic Plain: Year Round Temporal Behavior. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 16: 1615– 1624. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.2016.01.0023
• Singh, A., Rastogi, N., Patel, A., Singh, D. (2016). Seasonality in size-segregated ionic composition of ambient particulate pollutants over the Indo-Gangetic Plain: Source apportionment using PMF. Environmental Pollution, 219: 906–915. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.010
• Rastogi, N., Patel, A., Singh, A., Singh, D. (2015). Diurnal variability in secondary organic aerosol formation over the Indo- Gangetic Plain during winter using online measurement of water-soluble organic carbon. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 15: 2225–2231. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.2015.02.0097

Other Publications (Not Peer Reviewed)

• Kumar, K., Mukherjee, R., Patel, A., Tirkey, A., Bhatti, H., Thajudeen, J., Komal, K. K, Sahay, A., Raman, M., Rastogi, N., Kumar S., and Singh A. (2017). Dust Induced Primary Productivity and N Fixation Experiments in the Arabian Sea. Indian Ocean Bubble. 2nd International Indian Ocean Expedition (IIOE-2).

Abstracts in national/international conferences/symposium/school

• European Aerosol Conference (EAC 2023): Malaga (Spain) on September 3-8, 2023
  A. Patel, M. Tu, K. Elihn1, U. Olofsson and S.S. Steimer. Oxidative potential of nanoparticles from traffic
  Associated conference topics: 2.9
• European Aerosol Conference (EAC 2023): Malaga (Spain) on September 3-8, 2023
  Neuberger, F. Mattsson, Y. Gramlich, S. L. Haslett, L. Heikkinen, A. Patel, S. S. Steimer, S. Decesari, M. Paglione, M. Rinaldi, C. Mohr, I. Riipinen, and P. Zieger. Aerosol-fog interactions in the Italian Po Valley during the FAIRARI 2021/22 campaign
• Nordic Society for Aerosol Research Symposium (NOSA 2023): Oslo Science Park, Norway, 13-15 March 2023
  A. Patel, M. Paglione, A. Neuberger, F. Mattsson, Y. Gramlich, D. Hadden, S. L. Haslett, M. Rinaldi, C. Mohr, I. Riipinen, P. Zieger, S. Decesari and S. S. Steimer. Fog Processing on Aerosols’ Oxidative Potential in the Italian Po Valley – Role of Aqueous Phase Chemistry
• 11th International Aerosol Conference (IAC 2022): Athens, Greece: 4th – 9th September 2022
  Patel, A., Paglione, M., Neuberger, A., Mattsson, F., Gramlich, Y., Hadden, D., Haslett, S. L., Rinaldi, M., Mohr, C., Riipinen, I., Zieger, P., Decesari, S., Steimer, S. S. Impact of fog processing on the oxidative potential of atmospheric aerosols in the Po-Valley, Italy, during FAIRARI 2021/22
• 11th International Aerosol Conference (IAC 2022): Athens, Greece: 4th – 9th September 2022
  Neuberger, F. Mattsson, Y. Gramlich, D. Hadden, S. L. Haslett, A. Patel, S. Steimer, S. Decesari, M. Paglione, M. Rinaldi, C. Mohr, I. Riipinen, and P. Zieger. Studying aerosol-fog interactions in the Italian Po Valley during FAIRARI 2021/22
• National Space Science Symposium (NSSS 2019), Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), Pune, India: 29th – 31st January 2019
  Patel, A. and Rastogi, N. Reactive Oxygen Species Generation Capacity of Ambient Fine Aerosol over the Indo-Gangetic Plain: Effect of Intense Biomass Burning.
• National Space Science Symposium (NSSS 2016): Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), Trivandrum, India: 9th – 12th February 2016<
  Patel, A. and Rastogi, N. Oxidative Potential of Ambient Aerosols: First Measurement over India.
• I participated in the Surface Ocean Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) International Summer School organized at Corsica, France during 23rd July to 4th August 2018
• Indian Aerosol Science and Technology Association (IASTA): Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, New Delhi, India, 26th – 28th November 2018
  Patel, A., Rastogi, N. Reactive Oxygen Species Generation Capability of Ambient Aerosol over the Arabian Sea.
  It was awarded the best paper (platform, first prize) at the IASTA 2018 conference.
• Indian Aerosol Science and Technology Association (IASTA): Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, India: 6th – 8th December 2016
  Patel, A., Rastogi, N., Singh, A., Singh, D. Oxidative potential of ambient fine aerosols over the Indo-Gangetic Plain during winter.
  It was awarded the best paper (platform, second prize) at the IASTA 2016 conference.

Professor Patel taught the course “Laboratory Methods in Environmental Science“ (7.5 credits) to post-graduate students during Spring 2023 at Stockholm University. The course includes lectures and several practical blocks where students perform experiments and analyses in the laboratory, and the focus of practical blocks varies between years.