NOSA Aerosologist of the year: Adam Kristensson

Hugo Öhrneman, PhD Student in Aerosol Technology, met Adam Kristensson for an interview.

What would you say is your research field?
– I try to stick to outdoor measurements. That way, I don’t have to be an expert on everything.

Do you manage to stick to that?
– Most of the time, actually! I let Ergonomics and Aerosol Technology group in Lund handle the work in the lab and we at Combustion Physics take care of the outdoor measurements. I’ve worked on all kinds of things, but mostly with research in the Nordics. I've tried to map where different air pollutants come from in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and also partly in Poland. I’ve worked with source apportionment based on measurements, which has involved characterizing emissions from different particle sources.

What are the most pressing issues in your field?
– Recently, and this is actually my latest project, I’ve become very engaged in emissions from forestry, and not just from forestry but also reforestation, i.e. planting trees in areas where there weren’t any previously. And the effect that changing forestry practices has on emissions. I see this as a very important societal issue because if the forest is supposed to help us with climate change, we need to holistically understand how forests impact the climate. I’m trying to bring in aerosol particles and organic gases into this field, which haven’t been considered much before.

What are your future research plans? What do you hope to accomplish in the next 10 years?
– I really hope we can get a holistic view of the climate effects of forests – that’s my vision. And it will take 10 years, at least. My dream is that it will really benefit society, and that we can gain understanding on how to manage the forest. That’s my biggest dream.

The award was presented 26 September during the NOSA General Assembly. NOSA is the Nordic Society for Aerosol Research.