Naresh Kumar
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of Durham, Durham, UK.
Research Focus:
Environment and Health
Spatial-Temporal Modeling
Spatial Sampling
"I pursue research in the broader area of (a) environment and health, (b) methods of geo-spatial analysis, (c) location-allocation for decision support system, and (d) spatial-statistical methods of visualization. In the first, I study the health outcomes of human interaction in social and physical environments."
My current NIH project examines the association between long term personal exposure and respiratory health in pre (before the year 2002) and post air pollution regulation periods in Delhi, India. The research exploits advances in atmospheric remote sensing and geo-spatial analysis for estimating air pollution at a high spatial resolution (such as at every household location) in pre and post regulation periods, and for imputing long term personal exposure to air pollution. An individual’s personal exposure is retrieved by linking his/her (routine) spatial interaction with the air pollution level at every place this individual has spent sometime during the course of his/her life.
In the second, I work on the methods of examining spatial dependency and causality of stochastically distributed point events; these methods have edge over the conventional methods that are based on the characteristics of the Cartesian space. In the third, I use location-allocation models for service area demarcation, locational efficiency evaluation of services and planning public and private services. In the final, my research focus is on innovative methods of visualization that improve our understanding of the underlying spatial-statistical structure of the mapped data.
Graduate Advisees
Courses Taught/Teaching:
44:243 - Modeling Space and Time
44:137 - Environment and Health - GIS Applications
44:134 - Environment and Health - Spatial Analysis
44:040 - Geographic Data Analysis
44:019 - Contemporary Environment Issues
Major Courses
Upper Division/Graduate
- Contemporary Environmental Issues
- GIS for Environmental Studies
- Environment and Health: GIS Applications
- GIS for Environmental Studies
- Environment and Health: GIS Applications
Graduate
Selected Grants:
- 2005-2007: Health and Air Quality Regulation in Delhi, India: The main goal of this project is to estimate air pollution at a high spatial-temporal resolution in pre and post environmental regulation periods in Delhi using atmospheric remote sensing and geo-spatial methods, and then use these estimates to compute long term personal exposure to ambient air pollutants and its effect on respiratory health. Air pollution and health data will be collected in Delhi, which has been subject to environmental regulation in recent years, and its neighboring districts, largely unaffected by such regulation. The air pollution estimates to be retrieved from MODIS satellites in the post regulation period will be validated using the air quality data to be collected at 150 sites in Delhi and 50 sites in the neighboring states. The project also includes the second round of survey of the 1600 households (in the year 2006-07) that were surveyed in January-March 2004. (Role: Principal Investigator; Collaborators: Prof. Andrew Foster, Economics Dept, Brown University, Dr. Allen Chu, NASA, Dr. Sachidanand Tripathi, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur; Funding Agency: NICHD, NIH; Amount: $275,000.)
- 2003-2005 Urbanization, Health, and Environmental Quality in coastal Ghana: In this project, we are investigating the effect of urbanization on environmental and health risks, and how these in turn influence local thinking about environmental issues. The main goals of the project are to (1) examine association between population dynamics and pollution levels in eight lagoon, (2) conduct focus groups and in-depth interviews with respondents located in the region, addressing questions of health behavior and demographic activity, (3) conduct exploratory drinking water quality measurements at the household and community level, (4) delineate watersheds of coastal water bodies, (5) develop a population growth and land use profile of the study area, and (6) conduct preliminary analysis of the interrelationships among urbanization, lagoon water quality, fish catches and human health. (Role: Co-Investigator; PI: Prof. Michael White, Brown University; Funding Agency: NIH; Amount: $200,000)
- 2003-2004: Air Quality and respiratory health in Delhi, India: The main objectives of this project were (a) to evaluate the feasibility of retrieving indirect estimates of air quality from satellite imageries based on the relationship between aerosol optical depth retrieved from satellite imageries and air pollution measured at 113 sites in Delhi, India and (b) to examine the association between the state of respiratory health and exposure to air pollution, measured by suspended particulate matters (PM2.5). We collected data on suspended particulate matters in a range of 1 to 10 micron (aerodynamic diameter) at 113 sites in Delhi (India) from July-December 2003, followed by an extensive respiratory health, socio-economic and demographic survey of 1,600 households (about 4000 individuals) in different strata identified based on air pollution levels and proximity to pollution sources from January to March 2004. (Role: PI; Co-PI: Prof. Andrew D. Foster, Brown University; Funding Agency: Seed Grant, Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC), Brown University; Amount: $50,000).
- 2003: Air Quality and Respiratory Health in Delhi – Feasibility Analysis: The main objective of the award was to examine the feasibility to study the health effects of recently implemented air quality regulation in Delhi, India. (Role: PI; Funding Agency: Seed Grant, PSTC, Brown University; Amount: $3,500)
Research Opportunities:
Research opportunities for potential PhD students are available in the following projects.
1. Time-space resolved estimates of air pollution exposure for the continental US
(PI Kumar)
Utilizing satellite remote sensing and spatial-temporal dynamic modeling, an air pollution exposure (for criteria pollutants) database is being developed for the continental US. This database will be housed at the University of Iowa and will allow researchers to acquire air quality estimates at any point location on any given day from 2000 to 2008. The availability of high resolution exposure estimates will allow for (a) better quantification of ambient exposure and its effect on human health, (b) evaluation of uncertainty in the linkages between (various) health outcomes and ambient air pollution, (c) monitoring air quality distribution by neighborhoods, (d) air quality management by identifying health risks of more- and less-harmful types of PM, and (e) the development of a nationwide health risk surveillance system.
2. Mortality and birth effects of air pollution in the US
(PI -Kumar)
Utilizing the high resolution air pollution data, we will examine the effects of short– and long-term exposure on cause specific mortality and birth outcomes (that includes low birth weight, pre-term delivery and intra-uterine growth restriction) in the ten largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the US. This will allow us compare and contrast the risks of air pollution estimates using high resolution air pollution estimates vis-à-vis coarse resolution air pollution estimates used traditional.
3. Health and Air Quality Regulations in Delhi, India
NIH/NICHD - 1 R21 HD046571-01A1 (PI - Kumar)
This project will utilize innovative methods of modeling and analysis of respiratory health outcomes and economic and policy responses in relation to recently implemented air quality regulation in Delhi and its neighboring districts, largely unaffected by these regulations.
4. Mortality and Air Quality Regulation in Two Indian Cities
NIH/NIEHS - 1 R21 ES014004-01A2 (PI- Kumar)
This project will investigate the feasibility of using satellite data to estimate daily air quality levels in India, to examine the association between mortality and estimated air quality exposure, and to evaluate mortality benefits of an air pollution intervention in Delhi and whether the satellite based method of imputing air quality can be extended to other countries.
5. An optimal spatial sampling design for the U.S. General Social Survey
NSF (0825588) - (Co-PI – Kumar; Leicht PI)
The goal of this project is to test an optimal spatial sampling design proposed in our GSS grant application and contrast the results of this optimized design with that from the conventional sampling design adopted for GSS.
6. Applying Data Assimilation and Adjoint Sensitivity to Epidemiological and Policy Studies of Airborne Particulate Matter
EPA (PI – Stanier; Kumar Co-PI)
Building on recent advances in air quality modeling and satellite remote sensing, we aim to develop improved estimates of daily source resolved PM2.5 at 36km spatial resolution for the continental US and at 4km for the selected largest cities in the US from 2001-2004.
7. Spatial Sampling with passive samplers in Cleveland, OH
EPA (PI – Peters, CI - Kumar)
8. CHEEC, The University of Iowa, 2008 (PI - Kumar)
Predicting Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality by Indirect Methods
The major goal of the project is to develop an empirical relationship between indoor air pollution and household characteristics and use this relationship to predict indoor air quality with the aid of household characteristics and ambient air pollution.
Overlap: None
9. EHSRC, The University of Iowa, (PI – Kumar)
Quantification of Indoor Air Pollution in Delhi, India
The goal of this project is to estimate personal exposure to airborne particulates of different sizes by linking time-activity diaries (of 4000 subjects) with the background air pollution in micro-environment, computed with the aid of satellite remote sensing and chemical dispersion models.
Office
302 Jessup Hall
Contact Information:
Department of Geography
302 Jessup Hall
The University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa 52242
Phone: (319) 335-0259
Fax: (319) 335-2725
E-mail: naresh-kumar@uiowa.edu
Web: http://jh302-nk-01.iowa.uiowa.edu
Top
(Within each year: first journals, then book chapters, & finally proceedings)
Link to more recent articles: click here.
2009:
Kumar, N., Peters, T., Nixon, V., Sinha, K., Jiang, X. and Ziegenhorn, S. (2009), An Optimal Spatial Configuration of Sample Sites for Air Pollution Monitoring. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (forthcoming).
Persoon, C., Peters, T., Kumar, N. and Hornbuckle, K. (2009), Spatial Distribution of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Cleveland, OH and Chicago, IL. Environmental Science & Technology (forthcoming).
Kumar, N. and A. Foster (2009), Air quality interventions and spatial dynamics of air pollution in Delhi and its surroundings, International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 4(1/2): 85-111.
Kumar, N. (2009), An Optimal Spatial Sampling Design for Intra-Urban Population Exposure. Atmospheric Environment: 43(1), 1153-55. (DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2008.10.055)
Foster, A., Gutierrez, E. and N. Kumar (2009), Voluntary Compliance, Pollution Levels, and Infant Mortality in Mexico. American Economic Review: Papers & Proceedings, 2009, 99(2): 1–11
2008:
Kumar, N., A. Chu and A. D. Foster (2008), Remote Sensing of Ambient Particles in Delhi and its Environs: Estimation and Validation. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 29(12): 3383–3405. (doi: 10.1080/01431160701474545)
Ott, D., N. Kumar and T. Peters (2008), Passive sampling to capture spatial variability in PM10–2.5. Atmospheric Environment, 42: 746-56. (DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.09.058)
2007:
Kumar, N., A. Chu and A. D. Foster (2007), An empirical relationship between PM2.5 and aerosol optical depth in Delhi Metropolitan. Atmospheric Environment, 41(21): 4492–4503. doi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.01.046
Kumar, N. (2007), Spatial Sampling for a Demographic and Health Survey. Population Research and Policy Review, 26(5-6): 581-99. DOI: DOI 10.1007/s11113-007-9044-7.
Kumar, N. and A. Foster (2007), Have CNG regulations in Delhi done their job? Economic and Political Weekly, 42(51): 48-58.
2006:
N. and Adina. K. Batnitzky (2006), Is India Heading for Obesity Epidemic? Asian Profile, 34(5): 477-92.
Gupta, P., S. A. Christopher, J. Wang, R. Gehrig, Y.C. Lee and N. Kumar (2006), Satellite Remote Sensing of Particulate Matter and Air Quality Assessment over Global Cities. Atmospheric Environment, 40(30), 5880-5892
2004:
Kumar, N. (2004). Frequency Histogram Legend in the Choropleth Map: A Substitute to Traditional Legend, Cartography and Geographic Information Science, 31(4): 217-236.
Kumar, N. (2004). Changing Geographic Access to and Locational Efficiency of Health Services in Two Indian Districts between 1981 and 1996, Social Science and Medicine, 58(10): 2045-2067.
2003:
Kumar, N. (2003), Mapping Spatial and Statistical Distributions in Choropleth Map, ArcUser, 6(4): 48-49.
Kumar, N. and C. Waylor (2003). Proximity to Alcohol-Serving Establishments and Crime Probabilities in Savannah, Georgia: A Statistical and GIS Analysis, Southeastern Geographer, XXXXIII(1), 125-42.
2000:
Kumar, N. (2000). Democratization and Automation in Cartography, The Cartographic Journal¸ 37(1), 65-77.
Kumar, N. (2000), Locational Analysis of Public and Private Health Services in Rohtak and Bhiwani Districts, India, 1981-1996, Proceedings of Map-2000, 10-11 April, 2000.
1999:
Atkins, P. J., J. Townsend, S. Raju and N. Kumar (1999). India’s Missing Millions, Geography Review, 13(1), 2-10.
1998:
Kumar, N. (1998). Vegetation Canopy Cover in A Metropolitan Setup: A Study of Jawaharlal Nehru University Campus and Surroundings, South Delhi, India, 1987-97, In Proceedings of 27th International Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment, June 8-12, 1998, TromsÆ, Norway, pp. 526-29.
1997:
Kumar, N. and Ian S. Evans (1997). Map Output format from GIS: Optimising Visual Quality of Paper and Electronic Atlases, The Cartographic Journal, 34(1), pp. 37-41.
Kumar, N., S. Raju, P.J. Atkins, J.G. Townsend (1997). Where angels fear to tread? Mapping women and men in India, Environment and Planning A, vol. 29, pp. 2207-2215.
Atkins, P.J., J.G. Townsend, S. Raju and N. Kumar (1997). A Geography of Sex ratio in India, Espace Populations and Societies-Extract, 1997-2(3), pp. 161-71.
1996:
Kumar, N. (1996). Aspects of the Production of Gender Atlas of India with ARC/INFO, The Cartographic Journal, 33, pp.27-38.
1994:
Kumar, N. (1994). The Feasibility of GIS in the Indian Context, Annals, NAGI, XIV(1), pp. 67-73.
Kumar, N. (1994). GIS Application to the Study of Infrastructure Development of Rural Areas, Annals,NAGI, XIV(2), pp. 100-106.
Monographs
1999: Raju, S., P.J. Atkins, N. Kumar, and J.G. Townsend. (1999). An Atlas of Men and Women in India, New Delhi: Kali for Women.
Discussion Papers and Technical Reports
1997:
Kumar, N. (1997). Availability of and accessibility to Infrastructure Services in Rural Areas: A Study of Rohtak and Bhiwani Districts, Haryana, 1981-91, Working Paper, Published by the Department of Geography, University of Durham, Durham.
1996:
Kumar, N. (1996). Development of Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing in India, January to May 1996: A country report on GIS and RS advances in India, presented before IGU in Aug 1996.
PDF of some of the above publication can be found at:
http://jh302-nk-01.iowa.uiowa.edu/papers
