This is what it takes to become an atmospheric chemist

William Apondo, 28, is an Atmospheric Chemist specialised in air quality. In 2009, he joined Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology to study a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, graduating in 2013. In 2014 he studied master’s in Analytical Chemistry, at Moi University.

Apondo schooled at Usenge High School in Siaya County where he scored grade B- in KCSE of 2006.

How did you end up in this career?

I became interested in scientific research on my third year at university during my internship with the International Center for Insect Psychology and Ecology (ICIPE).

At the time, I learned how much research was helping to solve various environmental challenges facing Kenya and the region.

Thus, I was motivated to study my master’s degree. I joined Moi University for a master of science in Analytical Chemistry.

In my master’s thesis, I decided to do a project on surface ozone pollution, the contributing factors to it, and the effects. As I carried out my assessment and measurements in Nairobi, I realised the great potential and interest in atmospheric chemistry.

How does Biochemistry and Molecular Biology skills apply in your current occupation?

Biochemistry provides me the basic knowledge of compound and cell chemistry. It is easier when I am to link atmospheric pollutants with their impacts on human and environmental health.

The link is what pieces the puzzle, which then you can use to take some action or provide policy recommendations.

In which fields can an analytical chemist work in?

In most cases, one can work as a quality control or assurance person in industrial set up, making sure that what reaches the consumer has passed through all due processes that are deemed fit for consumption.

Why did you prefer to specialise in air quality?

Analytical chemistry gets very interesting when studying air quality. In analytical chemistry, you learn basic principles of ‘instrumentation and analysis’.

For example, I can quickly relate to the process of studying air quality during measurement when an air sample goes into a sensor, until when you get the final output on the display, which is the concentration.

Air quality has a lot of potential for impact research that drives agendas and solutions to some of our major issues such as increased number of deaths from respiratory diseases linked to air pollution and global warming.

In this field, I have also experienced career growth and made great achievements.

What instruments do you use to measure and test air quality?

We use a wide range of instruments such as gas phase sensors, optical particle counters, volume scattering particle counters, gravimetric sensors and filter-based sensors.

What are your findings?

Quite often, we discover a number of atmospheric pollutants, however, we focus mostly on emissions that impact negatively on human and environmental health.

There are no safer limits of air pollutants as people normally get exposed to different pollutants from different sources.

After taking measurements of those pollutants, we look at the potential implications and suggest viable solutions and recommendations.

As an air quality expert, how do you contribute to socio-economic welfare?

By reducing the impact of air pollution, we improve the state and stability of the environment as well as citizens’ wellbeing.

This has a lot of potential for economic growth as evidently seen in developed countries that have cut down and almost eliminated emissions causing air pollution.

Give your opinion regarding Kenya’s air quality findings.

Clean air is our right, yet most don’t realise that air pollution is on the rise to becoming the number one killer in Africa, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. A great percentage of us use fuels that contribute greatly to air pollution.

This needs to be cut down. Besides effort being put to control air pollution, more financing should go into research, citizens’ awareness and interventions to reduce emissions.

You have been conducting air quality studies in Nairobi’s Mukuru informal settlement. What is the community’s reaction?

The people feel that air quality within where they live is very poor and that they are exposed to all manner of environmental pollution, not just air pollution.

They believe that our research findings will motivate the national and county governments to develop policies to end all forms of pollutions.

On their part, residents are improving house ventilation, avoiding per-unit congestion, and using LPG instead of kerosene stoves for cooking.

As a research associate in Air Quality Management with Stockholm Environment Institute, where do we go wrong with regard to air quality management?

It’s ridiculous that some unregulated people are allowed to conduct a haphazard three-day air quality measurement from one location and present the results for use in the health sector, purporting them to be the overall status of air quality in the country! Someone needs to take responsibility for this.

There is need for collaborations and to reach out to professional researchers, the community and academia because all have a role to play. Experts drawn from various sectors should be involved in conducting research.

How does being in this field inspire you?

Knowing that you contributed to interventions to improve the livelihood of vulnerable communities makes you want to do more. For me, personal achievements derived from research impact, and potential for growth, gives me great inspiration.

Take us through an atmospheric chemistry researcher’s diary.

Typically, my day begins with a planning meeting or project partners’ meetings. I then get on with my to-do list, which normally includes field data analysis, research paper review, and reading a journal article.

I may have some field work, field coordination, or data collection. I am always handling an instrument or a sensor.

This changes in case I have workshops and trainings.

Give a step-by-step career advice to a high school graduate interested in becoming an air quality scientist? Which subjects are mandatory?

You need to have performed well in the sciences - Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Mathematics. There is a lot of interaction with atmospheric gases and instruments, so it’s important to have a very strong chemistry and physics knowledge.

At university, consider taking Chemistry affiliated courses such as Biochemistry, Organic chemistry, Physical chemistry, Biotechnology or industrial chemistry.

Is your career rewarding?

Depending on the level of education and experience, having a basic higher education would certainly get you a very good salary. Well experienced and post graduate individuals afford a decent living.