Rajasekhar Balasubramanian

Biography

Professor Bala’s research interests cut across environmental sustainability, climate change and urban air quality. The main goal of his interdisciplinary research is to advance understanding of environmental and health impacts of air pollution on scales ranging from local to global. His work provides policy-relevant scientific inputs and contributes to development of cost-effective technologies to mitigate adverse impacts of air pollution. He has led multi-national collaborative projects related to assessment and mitigation of personal exposure to airborne particles. He is currently spearheading an international research program that aims at improving air quality in cities through global alliance with premier universities. He is a one of the Lead Authors for the UN Environment Program’s Global Environment Outlook, focusing on cross-cutting issues on environment and health. He is a member of the science panel of APCAP (Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership), appointed by UNEP (United Nations Environment Program). He is a recipient of many research awards, notably the PROSE (Professional and Scholarly Excellence) award in recognition of his contribution to the recently published Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6) Report. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Research Feature: https://cde.nus.edu.sg/cee/research-features-rajasekhar-bala-cee/

Qualifications

• Ph.D. (Atmospheric Chem.), University of Miami, USA, 1991
• M.Tech. (Chem. Instmn.), IIT Delhi, India 1985
• M.Sc. (Chem.) IIT Madras, India, 1983
• B.Sc. (Chem), St. Xavier’s College, India, 1981

Career History

• Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Professor, National University of Singapore (1996 -present)
• Deputy Head, Communications & Engagement (Present) 
• Provost Chair ( 2023 – 2025)
• Research Scientist, Wadsworth Center, NY State Department of Health, USA (1994 -1996)
• Research Associate, Brookhaven National Laboratory, USA (1992-1994)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Miami, USA (1991-1992)

Researchser Expertise

• Environmental Sustainability
• Urban Air Quality & Indoor Air Quality
• Climate Change: Science, Mitigation, Adaptation and Resilience
• Aerosol Science & Technology
• Air Pollution Control (Industrial & Vehicular Emissions)
• Environmental Toxicology
• Waste-to-Energy Conversion

Professional Affiliation

• Adjunct Research Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), Boulder, Colorado, USA.
• Faculty Associate, Centre for Integrated Building Energy and Sustainability in the Tropics (CiBEST), NUS.
• Principal Investigator, Centre for Advanced 2D Materials (CA2DM), NUS
• Principal Investigator, CENSAM (Centre for Environmental Sensing and Monitoring), Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART)

Academic Leadership

• Deputy Head (Special Projects), CEE, NUS (2013 – Present )
• Principal Investigator, CENSAM, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology (2013-)
• Director of Research, Minerals, Metals and Metals Technology Centre, NUS (2011-2013)
• Director (Special Projects), CEE, NUS (2010-213)
• Director of Undergraduate Program in Environmental Engineering (2010- Present)
• Adjunct Research Scientist, National Center for Atmospheric Research, USA (2008-Present)
• Deputy Head (Undergraduate Studies), ESE, NUS (2005-2010)
• Chair, Curriculum Review Committee & Environmental Engineering Accreditation Committee (2008-2009; 2012-2013)
• Chair, Faculty Search Committee, Environmental Engineering (2009)
• Leader, International Research Project on Air Quality, Sponsored by “Sida” (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) (2000-2008)
• Associate Director of Environmental Science and Engineering Program (ESEP), NUS (2004-2005)
• Program Manager, M.Sc. (Environmental Engineering), ESEP – NUS (2004-2005)

Administrative Leadership

• Vice-President, International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations (IUAPPA) (2022-present)
• Department of Architecture, Chair of Department Search Committee (Chair) (2022-present)
• NUS Sustainability Initiative (2022 – present)
• College of Design and Engineering Taskforce for Strategic Hires (2022-present)
• Sustainability and Climate Change Mitigation Research Cluster Leader (2021- present)
• CEE Head Search Committee (2020-2021)
• Faculty Search Committee Chair (2020-present)
• Faculty Promotion & Tenure Committee (2021- present)
• Member, NUS Senate (2019-present)
• Deputy Head (Special Projects), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NUS (2013-Present)
• Director of Research, Minerals, Metals and Metals Technology Centre, NUS (2011-2013)
• Director (Special Projects), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NUS (2010-2013)
• Director of Undergraduate Program in Environmental Engineering (2010-2014)
• Deputy Head, (Undergraduate Studies), Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore – NUS (2005-2010)

Awards & Recognition

Teaching Awards

• Teaching Honor Roll at the University level (2007)
• NUS Annual Teaching Excellence Award (2005-06; 2004-05; 2003-04)
• Teaching Honor Roll at the Faculty level (2012)
• Engineering Educator Award (2009-10; 2006-07; 2005-06; 2004-05; 2003-04)
• Teaching Commendation Award (2002-03; 2001-02; 2000-01)

Research Awards and Honors

• Frontiers Planet Prize (National/International Champion) (Short-listed) (January 2023)
• Provost’s Chair Professor in recognition of excellence in research quality and impact (2023)
• World’s Top 2% Scientist (2022 & 2021)
  • This ranking by Stanford University is based on the bibliometric information contained in the Scopus database and includes more than 180,000 researchers from the more than 8 million scientists considered to be active worldwide, with all scientific subfields taken into account. CEE Faculty members featured in World Top 2% Scientists in 2022 by Stanford University, USA – Civil and Environmental Engineering (nus.edu.sg)
• 9 research articles are identified by the web of science as highly cited papers (the top 1% of papers published in the academic field of Engineering) (2022).
• Listed among Top 25 Air Quality Experts in the World (2022)(Google Scholar)
  • This list includes eminent scholars in the field of air quality based on their citations.
  • Profiles (google.com.sg); ‪Rajasekhar Balasubramanian – ‪Google Scholar
• Top Environmental Scientist in NUS based on citations (2022)
  • https://research.com/scientists-rankings/environmental-sciences/sg
  • Position in the ranking is based on a scientist’s D-index (Discipline H-index), which only includes papers and citation values for an examined discipline.
• National Award (Commendation Medal) 2021
  • This award is in recognition of Prof Bala’s contribution and service to education in Singapore.
• Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) (2021)
  • This fellowship is awarded to researchers who have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the chemical sciences.
• Professional and Scholarship Excellence (PROSE) Award, UNEP (2021)
  • This award is in recognition of Prof Bala’s contributions to the sixth edition of the Global Environment Outlook Report– GEO-6: “Healthy Planet, Healthy People”, edited by United Nations Environment, Cambridge University Press.
  • Prof Rajasekhar Balasubramanian receives the PROSE Award (nus.edu.sg)
• Listed among Top 100 Asian Scientists (2017)
  • The Asian Scientist 100 list, compiled by the Asian Scientist Magazine, is an annual compilation of the continent’s brightest people that made a significant scientific discovery.
  • https://www.asianscientist.com/as100#2017
• Energy Award, The Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK) (2016)
  • This award recognizes the best project, process or product to demonstrate excellence in efficient energy use or the development of energy production methods that reduce energy intensity.
• Highly Cited Research Article Award (in “Atmospheric Research”) (2016)
  • This award recognizes top cited authors whose best work is published in the journal, Atmospheric Research (IF = 5.965).
• Outstanding Reviewer Award, Atmospheric Environment (2015)
• Research Project of the Year Award, Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK) (2015)
  • This award recognizes the best chemical engineering research project, undertaken researchers.
• Sustainable Technology Award, The Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK) (2015)
  • This award recognizes the project, process or product demonstrating an excellence in sourcing and consuming materials, reducing waste, and/or optimizing the product life cycles.
• Alan Berman Research Publication Award, Department of the Navy (USA) (2014)
  • This, eponymous award, is awarded annually to those NRL scientists and their associates who have completed the most outstanding research in their field of professional competence during the preceding year.
• Merit Award from Env Chemistry Division, American Chemical Society (2013)
  • This award is given to researchers whose best work is presented in the environmental chemistry section at the American Chemical Society annual meeting.
• Best Paper Award, International Scientific Symposium on Env Health (2008)
• Best Paper Award, The HSA-NUS Symposium on Environmental Health (2005)
• Prestigious Publication Award, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (2001)
• Best Paper Award, Tenth Regional IUAPPA Conference, Istanbul, Turkey (1997)
• Atmospheric Chemistry Colloquium for Emerging Senior Scientists (ACCESS I) Award, MIT, Boston, USA (1991)

Student-Associated Awards

• Green Talents Award (2016) (Shamik Chowdhury, my PhD student), the award was given by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
• Advisor to winner of the World Future Foundation Ph.D. prize in Sustainability and Environmental Research (Dr. Mano Kalairasan, Best Ph.D. Thesis in Environmental Research, US$10,000) (AY2011-2012)
• Advisor to winner of the World Future Foundation Ph.D. prize in Sustainability and Environmental Research (Dr. Augustine Quek, Best Ph.D. Thesis in Environmental Research, US$10,000) (AY2011-2012)
• Advisor to winner of the World Future Foundation Ph.D. prize in Sustainability and Environmental Research (Dr. He Jun, Best Ph.D. Thesis in Environmental Research, US$10,000) (AY2010-2011)
• Greenwave Environment Competition Award (2010)
• Best Paper Award (Poster Presentation), ChemBioTech International Conference (2010)
• President’s Graduate Fellowship (2005-2006; 2011-2012; 2013-14)
• NUS Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award (2006-2007)
• Best Thesis Award (2004-2005)
• Research Innovation Award (3 students: 1998-1999; 1999-2000; 2006-2007)

Service Awards

• Long Service Award (NUS) (2021, 2012)
• Spring-Singapore (Gold (2014), Silver (2010) and Bronze (2007))
• Outstanding Performance Award (Multi-tasking) from the Division of Environmental
• Science and Engineering (2006)

Service Contributions

Service to Profession

• Spring-Singapore Accreditation Council (2005 – Present)
• Service to the Ministry of Education in Singapore (curriculum development)
• Professional Service to the International Research Community (Capacity Building): The 7SEAS (7 Southeast Asian Studies) research programme coordinated by Office of Naval Research and NASA (project coordinator)

Service to Industry

• Industrial Consultancy Projects (2005 – Present)
• Meinhardt Singapore Pte Ltd (Design & Development of Biofiltration Systems)
• VICOM Ltd (Vehicular Emissions & their Control)
• Spring-Singapore (Industrial Emissions & their Control)
• National Parks Board of Singapore (Green roofs; Bioretention systems)
• Nanotech (Nanoparticles & their implications and applications)

Editorship/Editorial Board Membership

• Editor, Chemistry in the Environment, Royal Society of Chemistry (2018-Present)
• Editor, Aerosol and Air Quality Research (AAQR) (2015- Present)
• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Environmental Science (Air Pollution), the Nature Publishing Group, (2015-Present)
• Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Environmental Pollution and Remediation (2016-Present)
• Associate Editor, “Journal of Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste” (American Society of Civil Engineers, ASCE) (2011- Present).
• Guest Editor, Special Topic on Air Pollution Sources, Chemistry and Meteorology, The Scientific World Journal (2014)
• Associate Editor, TheScientificWorld (Atmospheric Systems Domain) 2001-2006.
• Guest Editor, Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A (2006)
• Member, Editorial Board of the following journals:
  • Journal of International Geosciences (2015- Present);
  • Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A (2004-2009);
  • The Open Journal of Atmospheric Sciences (2017)
  • The Open Journal of Biological and Environmental Monitoring (2015);
  • The Open Journal of Environmental Engineering (2010-2015).

Membership in Instituional, National or International Scientific Advisory Boards

• Asian Aerosol Research Assembly Board of Directors (2015-2017)
• Member, Environmental Science Curriculum Review Committee, Ministry of Education (Singapore) 2011.
• Member, International Advisory Board, Vel Tech University, India, 2011 – Present.
• Member, International Advisory Board, King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia (2009-10).Researcg 
• Adjunct Scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), USA (2008 – Present).
• Coordinator of a multi-national and multi-investigator research program (“Composition of Asian Deposition”, endorsed by the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry (IGAC), USA) 2001- 2006.
• Member, International Programme Committee, “East > Asia/Northern Pacific Regional Study (APARE)”, endorsed by > the IGBP (International Geosphere Biosphere Programme) 2001-2006.
• Member, International Scientific Steering Committee, IGBP-DEBITS (Deposition of Biogeochemical Important Trace Species) 2003-2007.
• Leader of a multi-national and multi-investigator research program funded by Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) 2001- 2008.

Participation as External Reviewer/Expert Panel Member (Review of Research Proposals)

• National Research Foundation (Singapore)
• Ministry of Education (Singapore)
• Singapore Economic Development Board
• Building and Construction Authority (Singapore)
• University Research Council Expert Panel (NUS)
• Hong Kong Research Grants Council
• French National Research Agency
• Chilean National Science and Technology commission
• UK Research Council
• Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong
• Israeli Ministry of Science, Technology and Space
• Swiss National Science Foundation
• National Science Foundation, Sri Lanka
• Yale University
• The UNEP 6^th Global Environmental Outlook Report

Professional Activities

• Technical Assessor, Singapore Accreditation Council for accreditation of environmental testing in analytical laboratories in Singapore.
• Member, Science Panel, Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership, United Nations Environment Program
• Chair, Clear Air Group, Environmental Engineering Society of Singapore (EESS).
• Member, International Scientific Steering Committee, IGBP-DEBITS (Deposition of Biogeochemical Important Trace Species) 2003-Present.
• Member, International Program Committee, “East > Asia/Northern Pacific Regional Study (APARE)”, endorsed by > the IGBP (International Geosphere Biosphere Program) 2001-Present.
• Coordinator of a multi-national and multi-investigator research program (“Composition of Asian Deposition”, funded by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), 2001- Present

Teaching Areas

• Advanced Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Air Pollution Control
• Air Pollution Control Technology
• Atmospheric Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry
• Energy and the Environment
• Environmental Technology
• Pollution Minimization and Prevention
• Final Year Design Project
• Final Year Research Project

Research Interests

• Aerosol Science &Technology
• Ambient Air Quality
• Atmospheric Kinetics &Photochemistry
• Climate Change
• Design of Practical Instruments
• Development of Low-Cost Adsorbents
• Environmental Chemistry
• Environmental &Health Risk Assessment
• Fate &Transfer of Pollutants in a Multi-Media Environment
• Indoor Air Quality
• Regional Smoke Haze
• Sustainable Development

Selected Plenary/Keynote Lectures

• “Carbon Management in the Built Environment”, International Conference on Sustainable Practices and Innovations in Civil Engineering (SPICE 2023), Chennai, India, March 2023. (Keynote Lecture)
• “Assessment and Mitigation of Health Impacts of Personal Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter”, International Meeting on Air Pollution in Asia – Inventories, Monitoring and Mitigation, Hanoi, Vietnam, February 2023. (Keynote Lecture)
• “Nature-based Systems for Mitigation of Environmental Pollution in Cities”, International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Prague, Czech Republic (2022) (Plenary Lecture)
• Climate Change Mitigation in Cities: Challenges and Opportunities”, International Conference on Recent Advancements in Infrastructure Development, Water Management, and Climate Change, G.H. Raisoni College of Engineering, India (2022) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Transboundary Smoke Haze in Southeast Asia: Environmental and Health Impacts”, Asian Aerosol Conference, Taiwan (2022) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Air Quality Changes in Cities during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Knowns and Unknowns” (Seoul National University) (Eminent Scholar Lecture Series) (Invited by the Korean government) (2021)
• “Climate Change Mitigation in Cities: Challenges and Opportunities”, International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Canada (2021) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Air Quality”, Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment International Conference (2020) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Assessment and mitigation of human exposure to airborne particles- how far have we come?” Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment International Conference, Busan, South Korea (2019) (Plenary Lecture)
• “Climate Change and its implications on Environment”, ‘International Conference on Recent Advancements in Civil Engineering and infrastructural developments (IC-RACEID-2019) H. Raisoni College of Engineering, India (2019) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Simultaneous Capture and Conversion of CO2 to Solar Fuels in a Circular Economy: From Waste to Wealth”, First International Conference on “Sustainable Development in Energy and Environment – ICSDEE’19 ”, Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology, Virudhunagar, India (2019) (Plenary Lecture)
• “Healthy Living in Cities – Assessment and Mitigation of human exposure to PM”, International Conference on Challenges of Climate Change and Air Pollution- Impacts on Health and Economy, Maulana Azad Medical College, Delhi, India, (2018) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Environmental Pollution and Remediation” International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Spain (2015) (Keynote Lecture)
• “Conversion of Biomass-to-Energy: Current Status and Future Prospects”, International Conference on Biomass-Energy Technologies, Nanjing, China (2012) (Plenary Lecture).
• “Energy Generation from Biomass Waste” International Conference on Ecotoxicology & Environmental Sciences, India (2011) (Plenary lecture) (also chaired a session)
• “Airborne Particulate Matter Research: Challenges and Opportunities” International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Canada (2011)(Keynote Lecture)
• “Characterization and Health Risk Assessment of Combustion Aerosols”, International Symposium on Environmental Science and Technology, Dongguan, China (Plenary Lecture) (2011).
• “Physical, Chemical and Toxicological Characteristics of Biodiesel Exhaust Particulates”, International Symposium on Chemical-Environmental-Biomedical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan (2011) (Keynote Lecture).
•  “Waste-To-Energy Conversion: Current Status and Future Prospects”, Defense Science Research Conference, Singapore (2011) (Keynote Lecture) (also chaired a session).
• “Renewable Energy and its Impact on the Socio-Economy”, Keynote Lecture, ASEAN Energy Conference, Malaysia (2010) (Keynote Lecture).
• “Environmental Engineering Education for the 21^st Century: Challenges and Opportunities”, International Conference on Cleaner Technologies and Environmental Management (2007). (Keynote Lecture)
• “Smoke Haze in Southeast Asia” WMO-DEBITS Meeting, South Africa (2006) (Keynote).
• “Green Engineering Through Green Chemistry” International Conference on Environmental Sciences, Ministry of Education, Singapore (2005) (Keynote Lecture).
• “Air Quality Management in Southeast Asia” at the Seventh International Aerosol Conference, Taiwan (2002). (Keynote Lecture and Panel Discussion)
• “Forest Fires In Southeast Asia And Their Impact On The Environment and Human Health”, Sixth Eurasia Conference on Chemical Sciences, Brunei Darussalam, Brunei (1999).  (Keynote Lecture)
• “Meteoric Metals” at the Atmospheric Chemistry Colloquium for Emerging Senior Scientists (ACCESS I), MIT, Boston, USA (1991).

Selected Invited Lectures (all travel expenses were borne by the host organizations)

• “Health Impacts of Personal Exposure to Airborne Particulate Matter”, Air pollution in Asia meeting, Hanoi, Vietnam, organized by South/Southeast Asia Research Initiative (SARI) and NASA, (2023).
• “Climate Change Mitigation in Cities: Challenges and Opportunities”, Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation, Guntur, India (2021)
• “Air Quality and Climate Change”, Institute of Public Understanding of Risk, NUS (2020)
• “Nature-based Solutions for Urban Environmental Problems”, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India (2020)
• “COVID-19 and Air Quality: Knowns and Unknowns” National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India (2020)
• “Transboundary Air Pollution in Southeast Asia” at the Fourth Ministerial Regional Forum on Environment and Health in Southeast and East Asian Countries, Manila, Philippines, organized by UNEP and WHO, (October 2016).
• “Bioenergy” at the 6^th International Symposium: Addressing Global Challenges Through International Collaboration in Education and Research, The University of Queensland (Australia) (September 2016), organized by the McDonnell International Scholars Academy.
• “Urban Air Quality” at the Workshop on Technology and Policy Issues in Singapore (June 2016), organized by SMART (Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research & Technology).
• “Health Risk Assessment of Inhalation Exposure to Airborne Particles” at the First APCAP (Asia Pacific Clean Air Partnership) Science Panel Meeting, Bangkok, Thailand (June 2016), organized by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and Clean Air Asia.
• “Toward Integration of Air Quality and Climate Change Policies” at the PEER-SEA (Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research in Southeast Asia) SLCP (Short-Lived Climate Pollutants) workshop, Bangkok, Thailand (May 2016), organized by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Science Foundation.
• “Urban Air Quality: Challenges” at MEWR (the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources”) (February 2016)
• “Environmental and Health Implications of Smoke Haze”, CSN Symposium on Air   pollution and Health Risk- Singapore Perspective, Singapore (September, 2015)
• “Improvement of Urban Air Quality” at the World Congress of the Society for Risk Analysis” Singapore (July 2015), sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation
• “Urban Air Pollution: Causes, Impacts and Mitigation” at the GURME Regional Training Workshop in SE Asia, Malaysia (April 2015), organized by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• “Recovery of Value-Added Products from Biomass” at the 5^th Molecular Materials Meeting (M3) Singapore (August 2015), organized by the A*STAR Institute of Materials Research and Engineering.
• “Biomass Burning and its Health Impacts: Some Knowns and Some Unknowns” at the Association of Pacific Rim University Global Health Workshop, Taiwan (September 2014); APRU is a consortium of 42 leading research universities including UC Berkeley, CalTech, and NUS.
• “Recovery of Energy and Materials from Biomass Waste” at the International Conference on Biological Waste as a Resource, Hong Kong (December 2014)
• “Rainwater Harvesting: The Way Forward”, International Rainwater Catchment Systems (IRCS) Conference & International Symposium on Rainwater Utilization, Beijing, China (July 2013) (Declined).
• “Recovery of Valuable Metals from Waste Materials: Challenges and Solutions”,  Low Carbon Forum (organized by SPORE (Singapore Peking Oxford Research Enterprise), Beijing, China (April 2013).
• “Utilization of Upgraded Biomass Feedstocks for Energy Generation”, 2013 International Symposium on Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian, China (Declined).
• “Research on Airborne Particulate Matter”, Center for Environmental Sensing and Modeling Workshop (CENSAM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2012).
• “New Developments in Environmental Monitoring and Remediation”, International Conference on Recent Developments in Environmental Impact Assessment & Integrated Approach for Carbon Management, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, India (2012).
• “Mitigation of Environmental and Energy Impacts”, UC, Berkeley-NUS Joint Seminar, UCB (2012).
• “Climate Change” and “Air Quality”, European Research Course on Atmosphere, Grenoble, France (2009, 2010 and 2011).
•  “Environmental and Health Impacts of Biomass Burning”, “International Conference on Advances in Environmental Chemistry” India (2011). (also Chaired a session)
• “The Science of Climate Change”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore (2011).
• “Industrial Ecology: The Knowns and Unknowns”, VelTech University, India (2011).
• “Combustion Aerosols and their Health Impacts”, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (2011).
• “Particulate Emissions from Laser Printers”, International Workshop on Environmental Health and Technology, IIT, Kanpur, India (2010).
• “Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling in a Tropical Reservoir”, Singapore-Delft Water Alliance Workshop, Delft, The Netherlands (2009).
• “Eutrophication of Tropical Reservoirs”, International Workshop on Biodiversity, Edinburgh, Scotland (2009)
• “Causes and Impacts of Cyanobacterial Blooms”, 9^th South Council of Asia Joint Project Workshop on Asia, Singapore (organized the University of Tokyo) (2009)
• “Development and Applications of Passive Samplers”, Training Program and Refresher Course at the Male Declaration at UNEP RRC.RP AIT, Bangkok, Thailand (2007).
• “Composition of Asian Deposition: Current Status and Future Prospects”, Regional Air Pollution in Developing Countries (RAPIDC) Steering Committee Meeting, Stockholm University, Sweden (2007).
• “Industrial Combustion Pollution & Control”, Diponegro University (Steel Development and Its Impact on Environment, National Seminar), Semarang, Indonesia (2007).
• “Control of Air Pollution in Asia” Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden (2004 & 2006).
• “Causes and Control of Eutrophication in Coastal Waters”, Kruger National Park, South Africa (2006).
• “Airborne Particulate Matter: Environmental and Health Effects” at the International Training School organized by UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program) (Bangkok) (2006).
• “Peat Fires and their Impact on Human Health” National Central University, Taiwan (2006).
• Seminar (Development of Alternative Water Resources in Singapore), University of Melbourne, (2005).
• Seminar (Impact of Smoke Haze on Regional Air Quality in Southeast Asia), at the International Seminar on Indonesian Smoke Induced by Drought Episodes (INSIDE) (Joint collaborative research among the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Jakarta, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany, and University of Cambridge, UK) (2005).
• Composition of Asian Deposition: Current Status and Future Directions, Global Climate Change Conference, Cape Town, South Africa (October 2003).
• “Assessment of On-road Vehicular Emissions” NTU-NUS joint symposium on Environmental Science & Engineering, National Taiwan University (2001).
• “Carbonaceous aerosols in urban atmospheres: experience in Singapore”, First World Meteorological Organisation GURME Forecasting Workshop, Kuching, Malaysia (2000).
• “Carbonaceous Aerosols: Sources and Environmental Impacts”, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kuopio, Finland (1999).
• “Regional Air Quality in Southeast Asia” Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (1998 & 1999).

Membership in Conference organizing committees

• Member, International Aerosol Conference (2018)
• 7th International Congress on Biofuels and Bioenergy (October 2017). Canada
• 8th International Conference on Environmental Science and Engineering (June2017) Spain
• 2017 International Conference on Environmental and Energy Engineering, China
• Second International Conference on Environmental Management and Green Technologies (ICEMGT 2017), India
• The International Conference on Environmental Research and Public Health, China (October 2016)
• Asia Pacific Conference on Biotechnology for Waste Conversion, Hog Kong (December 2016)
• The 2016 International Conference on Energy Engineering and Environmental Protection, China
• Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Asia Pacific Conference (session on PM₅ and its health impacts), Singapore (September 2016)
• International Conference on Environmental Pollution and Remediation, Canada (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016)
• World Engineers Forum (Singapore, organized by the Institution of Engineers, Singapore) (2013)
• International Rainwater Catchment Systems (IRCS) Conference & International Symposium on Rainwater Utilization, China (2013)
• International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, USA (2012)
• International Conference on Ecotoxicology and Environmental Sciences, India (2012 & 2014)
• International Symposium on Environmental Science and Technology, China (2013)
• International Conference on Advances in Environmental Chemistry, India (2011)
• European Research Course on Atmospheres, Grenoble, France (2011)
• Symposium on Young Water Talents (Singapore International Water Week) (2007, 2008 and 2009)
• International Conference on Cleaner Technologies and Environmental Management, India (2007)

International Recognition of Research Leadership

• Chair, “2020 & 2021 Atmosphere Young Investigator Award Evaluation Committee” (in the field of air quality, global-level competition, Sponsor: “Atmosphere” (an international journal)).
• Program Chair, The World Clean Air Congress organized by IUAPPA (International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations) (2022).
• Lead Author of a chapter in Global Environment Outlook-6 (GEO-6) Report “Healthy Planet, Healthy People”, edited by UN Environment and published by Cambridge University Press (2020).
• Invited to be on the Technical Program Committee of the International Aerosol Conference to be held at St. Louis, USA (2018)
• Member of the Science Panel, Asia-Pacific Clean Air Partnership (APCAP), appointed by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) (2016 – Present)
• Lead Author of a chapter dealing with air pollution and climate change in the “Global Environment Outlook-6 Asia-Pacific Regional Report”, published by UNEP (2016)
• Asian Aerosol Research Assembly, Member of the Board of Directors (2015 – Present)
• Editor of a special issue on “PM_2.5 in Asia” in AAQR (Aerosol and Air Quality Research) to be published in January 2017
• Invited member of MAGEEP (“McDonnel Academy Global Energy and Environment Partnership”, hosted by Washington University in St. Louis); it is a consortium of 32 universities including NUS. (2016 – Present)
• Invitation by the “World Health Organization”, “World Meteorological Organization”, “UNEP”, “United States Agency for International Development (USAID)” and “Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU, a consortium of 45 leading research universities)” to share my research findings on “Transboundary Air Pollution in Southeast Asia” (2014 & 2016)
• Publication of my research profile in the APRU newsletter
• International Media Coverage: I was interviewed by the National Public Radio (USA), BBC, CNN and Channel News Asia on environmental & health issues related to smoke haze in Southeast Asia. My comments on these issues were published by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Jakarta Post, the Straits Times and Today magazine (2016)
• My expert comments on the scientific significance of research articles published in leading/premier journals (e.g., “Energy & Fuels”, “Nature Communications”, “Science”, and “Environmental Research Letters”) are frequently sought by editors (2015-2016)
• Leader of a major research project that investigated the winter haze in Shanghai vs smoke haze in Singapore and related impacts with funds from the National Research Foundation of Singapore (2013-2016) as part of the E2S2 (Energy and Environmental Sustainable Solutions for Megacities) program
• Invitation by ERCA (European Research Course on Atmospheres) to develop and deliver graduate-level lectures for three consecutive years at Grenoble, France (2008- 2011). The lectures are part of a month-long course that features world-leading experts giving seminars related to atmospheric sciences to 30 talented graduate students, selected across the globe
• Coordinator of a major international research project (7SEAS-Seven South East Asian Studies) with a focus on atmospheric aerosols, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (USA) and NASA (USA) (2009 – 2012)
• Coordinator of a major international project on air quality funded by SIDA (Swedish International development Agency) (2000-2008)

Leadership in Environmental/Sustainability Education- Curriculum Development

• CE2003 Energy, Environment and Economics
• ESE2001 Environmental Fluid Mechanics
• ESE3001 Water Quality Engineering
• ESE3101 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
• ESE4505 Urban Water Quality Engineering & Management
• ESE4406 Energy Systems and Climate Change Mitigation
• ESE5202 Air Pollution Control Technology
• ESE5203 Aerosol Science and Technology
• ESE5601 Environmental Risk Assessment
• ESE1001 Environmental Engineering Fundamentals
• ESE4507 Environmental Forensics
• ESE5901 Environmental Technology
• ESE5501 Environmental Engineering Principles
• GEC1040 “A Culture of Sustainability” offered for undergraduate students at NUS
• New Interdisciplinary Major in “Sustainable Urban Development”, offered for undergraduate students at NUS, starting 1919612021.

The goal of this new major is to provide students with interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to be able to address the most pressing issues of urban development and its human impacts in cities in the context of changing climate from the sustainability viewpoint.

Research Outputs (as of January 2023)

• Number of peer-reviewed research articles in international journals: 255
• Number of highly cited papers: 9 (top 1% of the academic field- average number of citations per paper: 312)
• Number of review articles: 20
• Total number of citations: 20,000 (Google Scholar); h-index: 78 (Google Scholar) https://scholar.google.com.sg/citations?view_op=list_works&hl=en&hl=en&user=erAjQncAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate
• Number of conference presentations/papers: 170
• Number of invited seminars/lectures: 60
• Monographs: 4; Book chapters: 28
• Book: 1

Book

Graphene-based 3D Macrostructures for Clean Energy and Environmental Applications (2021, 440 pages), edited by Rajasekhar Balasubramanian and Shamik Chowdhury and published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).

Patent

Activated carbon from waste biomass, (Application number: PCT/SG2015/050406.)

Recent Review Papers

1.  Zhang, B., Jiang, Y., Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Synthesis, formation mechanisms and applications of biomass-derived carbonaceous materials: A critical review, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9 (44), pp. 24759-24802. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1TA06874A
2. Biswal, B.K., Bolan, N., Zhu, Y-G., (2022). Nature-based Systems for mitigation of stormwater and air pollution: A Review, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 186, art. no. 106578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106578
3. Adam, MG., Tran, P.T.M., Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Air quality changes in cities during the COVID-19 lockdown: A critical review, Atmospheric Research, 264, art. no. 105823 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105823
4. Adam, M. G., Tran, P. T. M., Bolan, N., & Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Biomass burning-derived airborne particulate matter in Southeast Asia: A critical review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 407, 20 pages. doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124760
5. Reid, J. S., Hyer, E. J., Johnson, R. S., Holben, B. N., Yokelson, R. J., Zhang, J., . . . Liew, S. C. (2013). Observing and understanding the Southeast Asian aerosol system by remote sensing: An initial review and analysis for the Seven Southeast Asian Studies (7SEAS) program. Atmospheric Research, 122, 403-468. doi:10.1016/j.atmosres.2012.06.005
6. Behera, S. N., Sharma, M., Aneja, V. P., & Balasubramanian, R. (2013). Ammonia in the atmosphere: a review on emission sources, atmospheric chemistry and deposition on terrestrial bodies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 20(11), 8092-8131. doi:10.1007/s11356-013-2051-9

Recent Research Articles

1. Padhye, L., Jasemizad, T., Bolan, S., Tsyusko, O., Unrine, J.M., Biswal., B.K., Balasubramanian, R., et al., (2023), Silver contamination and its toxicity and risk assessment in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, Science of the Total Environment.
2. Zhang, J.J., Balasubramanian, R., Yang, X., (2023). Novel 3D multi-layered carbon nitride/indium sulfide heterostructure for boosted superoxide anion radical generation and enhanced photocatalysis under visible light, Chemical Engineering Journal, 453, art. no. 139776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.139776
3. Tran, T.PM., Kalairasan, M., Beshay, P.F.R., Qi, Y.H., Ow, L.F., Govindasamy, V., Yusof, M.L.M., Ghosh, S., Balasubramanian, R., (2022). Nature-based solution for mitigation of pedestrians’ exposure to airborne particles of traffic origin in a tropical city, Sustainable Cities and Society, 87, no. 104264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2022.104264
4. Biswal, B.K., Bolan, N., Zhu, Y-G., (2022). Nature-based Systems for mitigation of stormwater and air pollution: A Review, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 186, art. no. 106578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106578
5. Zhang, B., Jiang, Y., Balasubramanian, R. (2022). Synthesis of biowaste-derived carbon foam for CO₂ capture, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 185, art. no. 106453. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106453
6. Zhang, B., Jiang, Y., Ding, Y., Zhang, J., Balasubramanian, R (2022). Iron-catalyzed synthesis of biowaste-derived magnetic carbonaceous materials for environmental  remediation applications, Separation and Purification Technology, 295, art. no. 121321. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2022.121321
7. Baskar, A.V., Bolan, N., Hoang, S.A., Sooriyakumar, P., Kumar, M., Singh, L., Jasemizad, T., Padhye, L.P., Singh, G., Vinu, A., Sarkar, B., Kirkham, M.B., Rinklebe, J., Wang, S., Wang, H., Balasubramanian, R., Siddique, K.H.M. (2022). Recovery, regeneration and sustainable management of spent adsorbents from wastewater treatment streams: A review, Science of the Total Environment, 822, art. no. 153555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153555
8. Biswal, B.K., Balasubramanian, R. (2022). Adsorptive removal of sulfonamides, tetracyclines and quinolones from wastewater and water using carbon-based materials: Recent developments and future directions, Journal of Cleaner Production, 349, art. no. 131421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131421
9. Biswal, B.K., Balasubramanian, R. (2022). Constructed Wetlands for Reclamation and Reuse of Wastewater and Urban Stormwater: A Review. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 10, art. no. 836289. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2022.836289
10. Jiang, Y., Zhang, J., Balasubramanian, R. (2022). Nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels with rational indium hydroxide decoration for highly efficient photocatalytic of p-nitrophenol, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10 (1), art. no. 107125.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.107125
11. Biswal, B.K., Vijayaraghavan, K., Tsen-Tieng, D.L., Balasubramanian, R. (2022). Biochar-based bioretention systems for removal of chemical and microbial pollutants from stormwater: A critical review, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 422, art. no. 126886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126886
12. Biswal, B.K., Vijayaraghavan, K., Adam, M.G., Lee Tsen-Tieng, D., Davis, A.P., Balasubramanian, R. (2022). Biological nitrogen removal from stormwater in bioretention cells: a critical review, Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 42 (5), pp. 713-735. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2021.1969888
13. Tran, P.T.M., Adam, M.G., Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Assessment and mitigation of    toddlers’ personal exposure to black carbon before and during the COVID-19 pandemic:  a case study in Singapore, Environmental Research , 202, art. no. 111711. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.111711
14. Zhang, B., Jiang, Y., Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Synthesis, formation mechanisms and applications of biomass-derived carbonaceous materials: A critical review, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9 (44), pp. 24759-24802. https://doi.org/10.1039/D1TA06874A
15. Adam, MG., Tran, P.T.M., Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Air quality changes in cities during the COVID-19 lockdown: A critical review, Atmospheric Research, 264, art. no. 105823 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105823
16. Mankar, J. S., Rayalu, S. S., Balasubramanian, R., & Krupadam, R. J. (2021). High performance CO₂ capture at elevated temperatures by using cenospheres prepared from solid waste, fly ash. Chemosphere, 284. doi:1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131405
17. Tran, P. T. M., Adam, M. G., Tham, K. W., Schiavon, S., Pantelic, J., Linden, P. F., . . . Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Assessment and mitigation of personal exposure to particulate air pollution in cities: An exploratory study. Sustainable Cities and Society, 72, 103052. doi:1016/j.scs.2021.103052
18. Vijayaraghavan, K., & Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Application of pinewood waste-derived biochar for the removal of nitrate and phosphate from single and binary solutions. Chemosphere, 278. doi:1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130361
19. Vijayaraghavan, K., Biswal, B. K., Adam, M. G., Soh, S. H., Tsen-Tieng, D. L., Davis, A. P., . . . Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Bioretention systems for stormwater management: Recent advances and future prospects. Journal of Environmental Management, 292, 19 pages. doi:1016/j.jenvman.2021.112766
20. Adam, M. G., Tran, P. T. M., Cheong, D. K. W., Chandra Sekhar, S., Tham, K. W., & Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Assessment of Home-Based and Mobility-Based Exposure to Black Carbon in an Urban Environment: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 18 pages. doi:3390/ijerph18095028
21. Adam, M. G., Tran, P. T. M., Bolan, N., & Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Biomass burning-derived airborne particulate matter in Southeast Asia: A critical review. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 407, 20 pages. doi:1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124760
22. Tran, P. T. M., Adam, M. G., & Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Mitigation of indoor human exposure to airborne particles of outdoor origin in an urban environment during haze and non-haze periods. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 403, 16 pages. doi:1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123555
23. Milovanoff, A., Minet, L., Cheah, L., Posen, I. D., Maclean, H. L., & Balasubramanian, R. (2021). Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation Pathways for Urban Passenger Land Transport under Ambitious Climate Targets. Environmental Science and Technology. doi:1021/acs.est.0c06671
24. Tran, P. T. M., Nguyen, T., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Personal exposure to airborne particles in transport micro-environments and potential health impacts: A tale of two cities. Sustainable Cities and Society, 63. doi:1016/j.scs.2020.102470
25. McNeill, J., Snider, G., Weagle, C. L., Walsh, B., Bissonnette, P., Stone, E., . . . Martin, R. V. (2020). Large global variations in measured airborne metal concentrations driven by anthropogenic sources. Scientific Reports, 10(1). doi:1038/s41598-020-78789-y
26. Verma, R., Chakraborty, I., Chowdhury, S., Ghangrekar, M. M., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Nitrogen and Sulfur Codoped Graphene Macroassemblies as High-Performance Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Microbial Fuel Cells. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 8(44), 16591-16599. doi:1021/acssuschemeng.0c05909
27. Tran, P. T. M., Zhao, M., Yamamoto, K., Minet, L., Nguyen, T., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Cyclists’ personal exposure to traffic-related air pollution and its influence on bikeability. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 88. doi:1016/j.trd.2020.102563
28. Chen, Q., McGowan, S., Gouramanis, C., Fong, L., Balasubramanian, R., & Taylor, D. (2020). Rapidly rising transboundary atmospheric pollution from industrial and urban sources in Southeast Asia and its implications for regional sustainable development. Environmental Research Letters, 15(10), 13 pages. doi:1088/1748-9326/abb5ce
29. Jiang, Y., Chowdhury, S., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Efficient removal of bisphenol A and disinfection of waterborne pathogens by boron/nitrogen codoped graphene aerogels via the synergy of adsorption and photocatalysis under visible light. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 8(5), 11 pages. doi:1016/j.jece.2020.104300
30. Sharma, R., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Evaluation of the effectiveness of a portable air cleaner in mitigating indoor human exposure to cooking-derived airborne particles. Environmental Research, 183. doi:1016/j.envres.2020.109192
31. Adam, M. G., Chiang, A. W. J., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Insights into characteristics of light absorbing carbonaceous aerosols over an urban location in Southeast Asia. Environmental Pollution, 257, 10 pages. doi:1016/j.envpol.2019.113425
32. Tran, P. T. M., Ngoh, J. R., & Balasubramanian, R. (2020). Assessment of the integrated personal exposure to particulate emissions in urban micro-environments: A pilot study. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 20(2), 341-357. doi:4209/aaqr.2019.04.0201
33. Pereira, G. M., Oraggio, B., Teinilä, K., Custódio, D., Huang, X., Hillamo, R., . . . de Castro Vasconcellos, P. (2019). A comparative chemical study of PM₁₀ in three Latin American cities: Lima, Medellín, and São Paulo. Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, 12(10), 1141-1152. doi:1007/s11869-019-00735-3
34. Sharma, R., & Balasubramanian, R. (2019). Assessment and mitigation of indoor human exposure to fine particulate matter (PM₅) of outdoor origin in naturally ventilated residential apartments: A case study. Atmospheric Environment, 212, 163-171. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.05.040
35. Jiang, Y., Chowdhury, S., & Balasubramanian, R. (2019). Nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene aerogels as absorbents and visible light-active photocatalysts for environmental remediation applications. Environmental Pollution, 251, 344-353. doi:1016/j.envpol.2019.04.132
36. Jiang, Y., Chowdhury, S., & Balasubramanian, R. (2019). New insights into the role of nitrogen-bonding configurations in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of nitrogen-doped graphene aerogels. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 534, 574-585. doi:1016/j.jcis.2018.09.064
37. Chatterjee, A., Devara, P. C. S., Balasubramanian, R., & Jaffe, D. A. (2019). Aerosol climate change connection (AC3) special issue: An overview. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 19(1), 1-4. doi:4209/aaqr.2018.11.0435
38. Zhang, Z. -H., & Balasubramanian, R. (2018). Effects of oxygenated fuel blends on the composition of size-segregated engine-out diesel particulate emissions and on the toxicity of quasi-ultrafine particles. Fuel, 215, 161-170. doi:1016/j.fuel.2017.10.097
39. Chowdhury, S., Jiang, Y., Muthukaruppan, S., & Balasubramanian, R. (2018). Effect of boron doping level on the photocatalytic activity of graphene aerogels. Carbon, 128, 237-248. doi:1016/j.carbon.2017.11.089
40. Huang, X., Betha, R., Tan, L. Y., & Balasubramanian, R. (2018). Risk assessment of bioaccessible trace elements in smoke haze aerosols versus urban aerosols using simulated lung fluids (vol 125PB, pg 505, 2016). Atmospheric Environment, 174, 241-242. doi:1016/j.atmosenv.2017.11.062
41. Sharma, R., & Balasubramanian, R. (2018). Size-fractionated particulate matter in indoor and outdoor environments during the 2015 haze in Singapore: Potential human health risk assessment. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 18(4), 904-917. doi:4209/aaqr.2017.11.0515
42. Wu, C. F., Woodward, A., Li, Y. R., Kan, H., Balasubramanian, R., Latif, M. T., . . . Samet, J. (2017). Regulation of fine particulate matter (PM₅) in the Pacific Rim: perspectives from the APRU Global Health Program. Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, 10(9), 1039-1049. doi:10.1007/s11869-017-0492-x
43. Jiang, Y., Chowdhury, S., & Balasubramanian, R. (2017). Nitrogen-doped graphene hydrogels as potential adsorbents and photocatalysts for environmental remediation. Chemical Engineering Journal, 327, 751-763. doi:1016/j.cej.2017.06.156
44. Martins Pereira, G., Teinilä, K., Custódio, D., Gomes Santos, A., Xian, H., Hillamo, R., . . . Vasconcellos, P. D. C. (2017). Particulate pollutants in the Brazilian city of Saõ Paulo: 1-year investigation for the chemical composition and source apportionment. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 17(19), 11943-11969. doi:5194/acp-17-11943-2017
45. Chowdhury, S., & Balasubramanian, R. (2017). Three-dimensional graphene-based macrostructures for sustainable energy applications and climate change mitigation. Progress in Materials Science, 90, 224-275. doi:1016/j.pmatsci.2017.07.001
46. Zhang, Z. -H., Khlystov, A., Norford, L. K., Tan, Z. -K., & Balasubramanian, R. (2017). Characterization of traffic-related ambient fine particulate matter (PM₅) in an Asian city: Environmental and health implications. Atmospheric Environment, 161, 132-143. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2017.04.040
47. Jayaraman, S., Jain, A., Ulaganathan, M., Edison, E., Srinivasan, M. P., Balasubramanian, R., . . . Madhavi, S. (2017). Li-ion vs. Na-ion capacitors: A performance evaluation with coconut shell derived mesoporous carbon and natural plant based hard carbon. Chemical Engineering Journal, 316, 506-513. doi:1016/j.cej.2017.01.108
48. Zhang, Z. -H., & Balasubramanian, R. (2017). Effects of Cerium Oxide and Ferrocene Nanoparticles Addition As Fuel-Borne Catalysts on Diesel Engine Particulate Emissions: Environmental and Health Implications. Environmental Science & Technology, 51(8), 4248-4258. doi:1021/acs.est.7b00920
49. Jain, A., Jayaraman, S., Ulaganathan, M., Balasubramanian, R., Aravindan, V., Srinivasan, M. P., & Madhavi, S. (2017). Highly mesoporous carbon from Teak wood sawdust as prospective electrode for the construction of high energy Li-ion capacitors. Electrochemica Acta, 228, 131-138. doi:1016/j.electacta.2017.01.060
50. Balasubramanian, R., Gao, X., Hatakeyama, S., Hwang, J., & Tsai, C. -J. (2017). Overview of the Special Issue “PM₅ in Asia” for 2015 Asian Aerosol Conference. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 17(2), 351-355. doi:10.4209/aaqr.2017.01.0042

Monographs

1.  Parshetti, G. K. and R. Balasubramanian, Evaluation of hydrothermally carbonized hydrochar in improving energy security and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, Green Catalysts for Energy Transformation and Emission Control, vol. 1184, ed. Virender K. Sharma, Sue-min Chang, Ruey-an Doong, Chien-Hou Wu. Washington DC: American Chemical Society, 2014. 26 pp.
2. Muthuswamy, S, M. Arun, S. Pavagadhi, R. Kaushik, V.K. Sharma  and R. Balasubramanian, Biological Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and Assessment of Their .Bactericidal Activity, SUSTAINABLE NANOTECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: ADVANCES AND ACHIEVEMENTS, ACS Symposium Series, vol. 1124, ed. N. Hamim and V.K. Sharma. Washington DC: American Chemical Society, 2013. 14 pp.
3. Sundarambal, P., R. Balasubramanian, S. Karthikeyan and P. Tkalich, Atmospheric Deposition of Nutrients and its role on Coastal Eutrophication in Southeast Asia, Advances in Geosciences, Solid Earth, Ocean Science & Atmospheric Science (AOGS 2006), vol. 9, ed. Yun-Tai Chen et al.. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Company, 2006. 18 pp.
4. Balasubramanian, R., Impact of Biomass Burning Emissions on Regional Atmospheric Chemistry, New York: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001. 27 pp.

Book Chapters

1. Biswal, B.K. and R. Balasubramanian, Microplastics in aquatic and atmospheric environments: Recent advancements and future perspectives. In Emerging Aquatic Contaminants: One Health Framework for Risk Assessment and Remediation in the Post COVID-19 Anthropocene 2023. 36 pp.
2. Chowdhury, S., & Balasubramanian, R., “Graphene-based macroassemblies as highly efficient and selective adsorbents for postcombustion CO₂ ” In R. Balasubramian and S. Chowdhury (Eds.), Graphene-based 3D Macrostructures for Clean Energy and Environmental Applications . London, United Kingdom: The Royal Society of Chemistry, 384-395, 2021. 12 pages.
3. Adam, M., and R. Balasubramanian, “Black Carbon Emissions from Biomass Burning in Southeast Asia: A Review”. In Krishna Prasad Vadrevu, Toshimasa Ohara, Christopher Justice (Eds), Biomass Burning in South and Southeast Asia: Impacts on the Biosphere, CRC Press, 342 pages, 2021.
4. Chowdhury, S., S. Pan, R. Balasubramanian, and P. Das, “Date palm based activated carbon for the efficient removal of organic dyes from aqueous environment.” In Mu. Naushad, E. Lichtfouse (Eds.), Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 34: Date Palm for Food, Medicine and the Environment. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 247-263, 2019, 17 pages.
5. Chowdhury, S., S. Pan, R. Balasubramanian, and P. Das. “Three-dimensional graphenebased macroscopic assemblies as superabsorbents for oils and organic solvents.” In Mu. Naushad (Ed.), A New Generation Material Graphene: Applications in Water Technology. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 43-68, 2019. 16 pages.
6. Karthikeyan, O.P., R. Balasubramanian and J.W.C. Wong, “Pretreatment of Organic Solid Substrates for Bioenergy and Biofuel Recovery”. In Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering, ed. Jonathan W.-C. Wong, Rajeshwar D. Tyagi, Ashok Pandey, 135-156. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2017. 21 pp.
7. Balasubramanian, and O.P. Karthikyean, “E-Waste Recycling: Environmental and Health Impacts”. In REMEDIATION OF HEAVY METALS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, II ed., ed. J. Paul Chen, Lawrence K. Wang, Yung-Tse Hung, Nazih K. Shammas, and Mu-Hao S. Wang.. Boca Raton: Taylor and Francis/CRC Press, 2016. 26 pp.
8. Behera, S.N. and R. Balasubramanian, “Influence of vehicular traffic on aerosol BC, CO and NO in urban air”. In Air Quality. Rijeka: InTech, 2016. 18 pp.
9. Chowdhury, S., R. Balasubramanian and P. Das, “Novel Carbon-based Nanoadsorbents for Removal of Synthetic Textile Dyes from Wastewaters”. In Green Chemistry for Dyes Removal from Wastewater, ed. Sanjay K Sharma, 35-82. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2015. 48 pp.
10. Liu, Z., Balasubramanian and S.K. Hoekman, “Production of Renewable Solid Fuel Hydrochar from Waste Biomass by Sub- and Supercritical Water Treatment”. In Near-criticai and Supercritical Water and Their Applications for Biorefineries, ed. Zhen Fang and Chunbao (Charles) Xu, 231-260. Heidelberg: Springer, 2014. 30 pp.
11. Aas, W., Carou, A. Alebic-Juretic, V.P. Aneja and R. Balasubramanian, “Progress in Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring and Modelling”. In Nitrogen Deposition, Critical Loads ana Biodiversity, ed. MA Sutton, KE Mason, LJ Shepperd, H Sverdrup, R Haeuber and W Kevin Hicks, 455-464. Heidelberg: Springer, 2014, 45-463. 10 pp.
12. Weerathunghe, C., and R. Balasubramanian, “Assessment and Abatement Measures for Vehicular Air Pollution in Colombo, Sri Lanka”. In SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS: ASIA’S GREEN CHALLENGES, ed. LYE Lin-Heng, Victor SAVAGE, CHOULake-Ming, YU Liya, and KUA Harn-Wei. Singapore: World Scientific, 2014, 35-71. 38 pp.
13. Dakshinamoorthy, A., and R. Balasubramanian, “Development of Urban Traffic Pollution Control Strategies in Asian Cities: A Case Study from Chennai, India”. In SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS: ASIA’S GREEN CHALLENGES, ed. LYE Lin-Heng, Victor SAVAGE, CHOU Lake-Ming, YU Liya, and KUA Harn-Wei. Singapore: World Scientific, 2014, 3-34. 32
14. Chowdhury, S. and R. Balasubramanian, “Graphene and related nanomaterials for environmental remediation”. In Graphene: Mechanical Properties, Potential Applications ana Electrochemical Performance, ed. Bruce T Edwards. Florida: Nova Science Publishers, Inc, 2014. 70 pp.
15. Antoniou, M.G., A.A. de La Cruz, M.A. Pelaez, W. Song, K. O’Shea, L. Ho, G. Newcombe, M.R. Teixeira, T.M. Triantis, T. Kaloudis, A. Hiskia, Balasubramanian, S. Pavagadhi, C Han, V.K. Sharma, M.B. Dixon, X. He and D.D. Dionysiou, “Practices that prevent the formation of cyanobacterial blooms in water resources and remove cyanotoxins during physical treatment of drinking water”. In Comprehensive Water Quality and Purification, ed. Craig Patterson. Elsevier, 173-195, 2014. 26 pp.
16. Balasubramanian, and T.Y.A. Quek, “Treatment, Recycling and Disposal of Waste Tires”. In Remediation of Heavy Metals in the Environment, ed. Jiaping Paul Chen; Lawrence K. Wang; Yung-Tse Hung; Nazih K. Shammas; Mu-Hao S. Wang. Advances in Industrial and Hazardous Wastes Treatment, vol. 1, ed. Jiaping Paul Chen; Lawrence K. Wang; Yung-Tse Hung; Nazih K. Shammas; Mu-Hao S. Wang. Florida: CRC Press, 2013. 51 pp.
17. Liu, Z. and R. Balasubramanian, “Co-Processing Of Coal amd Hydrochar Produced From Hydrothermal Carbonization (HTC) of Waste Biomass”. In Fossil fuels: Sources, Environmental Concern and Waste Management Practice, ed. Rakesh Kumar. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Publishers, 101-27, 2013. 29 pp.
18. Sundarambal, P., R. Balasubramanian and Tkalich, “A 3-D Model on the Possible Role of Atmospheric Deposition in Tropical Coastal Eutrophication”. In Contributions to Marine Science, ed. Tan Koh Siang, 11-21. Singapore: National University of Singapore, 2012. 10 pp. (A commemorative volume 2012 celebrating 10 years of research on St. John’s Island).
19. Betha,R., R.Balasubramanian and G. Engling, “Physico-chemical characteristics of particulate emissions from diesel engines fuelled with waste cooking oil derived biodiesel and ultra-low sulphur diesel”. In Biodiesel – Feedstocks, Production and Applications, ed. Zhen Fang, 461-487. Slavka Krautzeka: lntech, 2012. 28 pp.
20. Rajasekar, A, S. Maruthamuthu, Y. Ting, R. Balasubramanian and P.K.S.M. Rahman, “Bacterial Degradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons”. In Microbial degradation of xenobiotics, ed. SN Singh, 339-369. Germany: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2012. 40 pp.
21. Kalairasan, M., R. Balasubramanian, K.W. Cheong and K.W. Tham, “Airborne Particulate Pollution in a Tropical Urban Environment: Health Risk Assessment of Residents in High-Rise Buildings”. In Particulate Matter: Sources, Emission Rates ana Health Effects, Henrik Knudsen and Niels Rasmussen, 63-90. United States: Nova Publishers, 2012. 28 pp.
22. Balasubramanian, R, “Air-sea interactions of semi-volatile organic compounds in the tropical environment of Southeast Asia”. In From the Global Mercury Cycle to the Discoveries 01 Kuiper Belt Objects, 9 ed., ed. Claude Boutron, 43-72. Grenoble: European Research Course on Atmospheres (ERCA), 2010. 30 pp.
23. Kalairasan, M., Balasubramanian, K.W. Cheong and K.W. Tham, “Vertical Distribution of Airborne Particulate Matter in a Tropical Urban Environment: Changes in Physical and Chemical Characteristics”. In Urban Airborne Particulate Matter, ed. Fathi Zereini and Claire L.S. Wiseman, 309-338. Heidelberg: Springer, 2010. 30 pp.
24. Balasubramanian, , and J. He, “Fate and Transfer of Semivolatile Organic Compounds In A Multi-Compartment Environment”. In Urban Airborne Particulate Matter, ed. Fathi Zereini and Clare Wiseman, 277-308. Heidelberg: Springer, 2010. 32 pp.
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