Research

Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon

The light-absorbing carbon that warms the atmosphere and darkens the sky

optics · isotopes

How the work is done

Optical absorption measurement across multiple wavelengths. Radiocarbon and stable-isotope source apportionment, in collaboration with Stockholm University. Laboratory characterisation of light absorption in extracted particle material. Long-range transport analysis linking source regions to receptor sites.

Publications 28

  1. 2 June 2026

    Distinct dual-isotopic signatures of major methane sources in South Asia

    Peng Yao, Katja Belec, Henry Holmstrand, Josh Balacky, Abdus Salam, Krishnakant Budhavant, Mohanan Remani Manoj, Khaled Shaifullah Joy, Md. Alamin Hossain, Atinderpal Singh, Anil Patel, Neeraj Rastogi, Chinmay Mallik, Kirpa Ram, Gyanesh Kumar Singh, Örjan Gustafsson

    Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 26(11), 7765-7787

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.5194/acp-26-7765-2026
    Open access (gold)

  2. 14 March 2026

    Multi-year dual-isotope fingerprinting at South Asian receptor sites constrain carbon monoxide sources and enhanced oxidation

    Peng Yao, Henry Holmstrand, Carina van der Veen, Maria Elena Popa, Chloe A. Brashear, Krishnakant Budhavant, Mohanan Remani Manoj, Joakim Romson, Abdus Salam, Thomas Röckmann, Örjan Gustafsson

    Copernicus GmbH

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Mitigation and filtration materials


    10.5194/egusphere-egu26-12027
    Open access (gold)

  3. 20 February 2026

    Distinct dual-isotopic signatures of major methane sources in South Asia

    Peng Yao, Katja Belec, Henry Holmstrand, Josh Balacky, Abdus Salam, Krishnakant Budhavant, Mohanan Remani Manoj, Khaled Shaifullah Joy, Md. Alamin Hossain, Atinderpal Singh, Anil Patel, Neeraj Rastogi, Chinmay Mallik, Kirpa Ram, Gyanesh Kumar Singh, Örjan Gustafsson

    Copernicus GmbH

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.5194/egusphere-2026-411
    Open access (gold)

  4. 4 November 2025

    Composition and Formation Mechanism of Brown Carbon: Identification and Quantification of Phenolic Precursors

    Md. Al-Amin Hossen, Mehedi Hasan Shakil, Md. Fahim Ehasan, Abu Rayhan Mohammad Tareq, Abdus Salam

    Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 25(21), 14629-14642

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.5194/acp-25-14629-2025
    Open access (gold)

  5. 31 July 2025

    Black carbon emissions generally underestimated in the global south as revealed by globally distributed measurements

    Yuxuan Ren, Christopher R. Oxford, Dandan Zhang, Xuan Liu, Haihui Zhu, Ann M. Dillner, Warren H. White, Rajan K. Chakrabarty, Sina Hasheminassab, David J. Diner, Emmie J. Le Roy, Joshin Kumar, Valerie Viteri, Keyao Song, Clement Akoshile, Omar Amador-Muñoz, Araya Asfaw, Rachel Ying-Wen Chang, Diana Francis, Paterne Gahungu, Rebecca M. Garland, Michel Grutter, Jhoon Kim, Kristy Langerman, Pei-Chen Lee, Puji Lestari, Olga L. Mayol-Bracero, Mogesh Naidoo, Narendra Nelli, Norm O’Neill, Sang Seo Park, Abdus Salam, Bighnaraj Sarangi, Yoav Schechner, Robyn Schofield, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Eli Windwer, Ming-Tsang Wu, Qiang Zhang, Yinon Rudich, Michael Brauer, Randall V. Martin

    Nature Communications, 16(1)

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.1038/s41467-025-62468-5
    Open access (gold)

  6. 26 June 2025

    Composition and Formation Mechanism of Brown Carbon: Identification and Quantification of Phenolic Precursors

    Md. Al-amin Hossen, Mehedi Hasan Shakil, Md. Fahim Ehasan, Abu Rayhan Mohammad Tareq, Abdus Salam

    Copernicus GmbH

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.5194/egusphere-2025-1954
    Open access (gold)

  7. June 2025

    Spectral characteristics of water-soluble Brown carbon and it’s radiative impacts on the atmosphere of Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Md Al-amin Hossen, Shatabdi Roy, Samiha Nahian, Shahid Uz Zaman, Abu Selim, Abdus Salam

    Atmospheric Environment, 351, 121185

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121185

  8. 23 April 2025

    Optical properties of brown carbon aerosols in Dhaka’s atmosphere: evaluating climate forcing potential

    Asfay Raihan, Md Safiqul Islam, Samiha Nahian, Abdus Salam

    Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment, 19(1)

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.1007/s44273-025-00057-0
    Open access (gold)

  9. 18 February 2025

    Aerosol–Climate Interaction in the South Asian Region: A Focused Exploration of the Impacts of Ozone, Black Carbon, Optical Properties and Radiative Forcing in a Region of Significant Climate Change Dynamics

    Kazi Rakib Uddin, Shahid Uz Zaman, Krishnakant B. Budhavant, Abdus Salam

    International Journal of Climatology, 45(6)

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.1002/joc.8800

  10. 17 February 2025

    Black Carbon Emissions Generally Underestimated in the Global South as Revealed by Globally Distributed Measurements

    Yuxuan Ren, Christopher Oxford, Dandan Zhang, Xuan Liu, Haihui Zhu, Ann Dillner, Warren White, Rajan Chakrabarty, Sina Hasheminassab, DJ Diner, Emmie Le Roy, Joshin Kumar, Valerie Viteri, Keyao Song, Clement Akoshile, Omar Amador-Muñoz, Araya Asfaw, Rachel Chang, Diana Francis, Paterne Gahungu, Rebecca Garland, Michel Grutter, Jhoon Kim, Kristy Langerman, Pei-Chen Lee, Puji Lestari, Olga Mayol-Bracero, Mogesh Naidoo, Narendra Nelli, Norman O'Neil, Sang Seo Park, Abdus Salam, Bighnaraj Sarangi, Yoav Schechner, Robyn Schofield, Sachchida Tripathi, Eli Windwer, Ming-Tsang Wu, Qiang Zhang, Yinon Rudich, Michael Brauer, Randall V Martin

    Research Square

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.21203/rs.3.rs-6024974/v1
    Open access (green)

  11. 4 January 2025

    The influence of meteorological factors on wintertime black carbon and PM2.5 pollution in Dhaka, Bangladesh

    S. U. Zaman, K. Budhavant, A. Salam

    International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 22(9), 8225-8234

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka


    10.1007/s13762-024-06302-3

  12. January 2025

    Wintertime black carbon assessment in dhaka, Bangladesh: Integrated health risk analysis

    A.K.M. Nayem, Shahid Uz Zaman, Farida Begum, Abdus Salam

    Heliyon, 11(2), e41809

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka


    10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e41809
    Open access (gold)

  13. 24 October 2024

    Changing optical properties of black carbon and brown carbon aerosols during long-range transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the equatorial Indian Ocean

    Krishnakant Budhavant, Mohanan Remani Manoj, Hari Ram Chandrika Rajendran Nair, Samuel Mwaniki Gaita, Henry Holmstrand, Abdus Salam, Ahmed Muslim, Sreedharan Krishnakumari Satheesh, Örjan Gustafsson

    Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 24(20), 11911-11925

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.5194/acp-24-11911-2024
    Open access (gold)

  14. August 2024

    Optical characteristics of brown carbon in the atmospheric particulate matter of Dhaka, Bangladesh: Analysis of solvent effects and chromophore identification

    Razia Sultana Ankhy, Shatabdi Roy, Aynun Nahar, Ahedul Akbor, Md Al-amin Hossen, Farah Jeba, Md Safiqul Islam, Mohammad Moniruzzaman, Abdus Salam

    Heliyon, 10(16), e36213

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka


    10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36213
    Open access (gold)

  15. 25 July 2024

    Spatio-temporal variation of aerosol optical depth and black carbon mass concentration over five airports across Bangladesh: emphasis on effect of COVID-19 lockdown

    Khaled Shaifullah Joy, Shahid Uz Zaman, Md. Riad Sarkar Pavel, Md. Safiqul Islam, Abdus Salam

    Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment, 18(1)

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.1007/s44273-024-00038-9
    Open access (gold)

  16. 17 January 2024

    Changing optical properties of Black Carbon and Brown Carbon aerosols during long-range transport from the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the equatorial Indian Ocean

    Krishnakant Budhavant, Mohanan Remani Manoj, Samuel Mwaniki Gaita, Henry Holmstrand, Abdus Salam, Ahmed Muslim, Sreedharan K. Satheesh, Orjan Gustafsson

    Copernicus GmbH

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.5194/egusphere-2024-104
    Open access (gold)

  17. 1 August 2023

    Emission of water soluble brown carbon from different combustion sources: optical properties and functional group characterisation

    Md Al-amin Hossen, Shatabdi Roy, Shahid Uz Zaman, Abdus Salam

    Environmental Research Communications, 5(8), 081002

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.1088/2515-7620/acea1d
    Open access (gold)

  18. 18 January 2023

    Light absorption properties of black carbon and brown carbon emitted from biomass combustion at the typical rural cooking stoves in Bangladesh

    Md Riad Sarkar Pavel, Shahid Uz Zaman, Sabuz Paul, Piasha Zaman, Abdus Salam

    Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 16(4), 719-732

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.1007/s11869-023-01302-7

  19. 2023

    Light Absorption Properties of Biomass Burning Emissions in Bangladesh: Current State of Knowledge

    Shahid Uz Zaman, Md Safiqul Islam, Shatabdi Roy, Farah Jeba, Abdus Salam

    Vegetation Fires and Pollution in Asia, 283-298

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.1007/978-3-031-29916-2_17

  20. 2022

    Light Absorption Properties of Black Carbon and Brown Carbon Emitted from Biomass Combustion in Bangladesh

    Md Riad Sarkar Pavel, Shahid Uz Zaman, Sabuz Paul, Piasha Zaman, Abdus Salam

    Elsevier BV

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.2139/ssrn.4030374
    Open access (green)

  21. 8 November 2021

    Light absorption properties of brown carbon from biomass burning emissions

    Farzana Runa, Md. Safiqul Islam, Farah Jeba, Abdus Salam

    Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(14), 21012-21022

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.1007/s11356-021-17220-z

  22. 10 September 2021

    Wintertime Air Quality in Megacity Dhaka, Bangladesh Strongly Affected by Influx of Black Carbon Aerosols from Regional Biomass Burning

    Abdus Salam, August Andersson, Farah Jeba, Md. Imdadul Haque, Md Dulal Hossain Khan, Örjan Gustafsson

    Environmental Science & Technology, 55(18), 12243-12249

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka


    10.1021/acs.est.1c03623

  23. 4 September 2020

    Source Quantification of South Asian Black Carbon Aerosols with Isotopes and Modeling

    Sanjeev Dasari, August Andersson, Andreas Stohl, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Srinivas Bikkina, Henry Holmstrand, Krishnakant Budhavant, Abdus Salam, Örjan Gustafsson

    Environmental Science & Technology, 54(19), 11771-11779

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.1021/acs.est.0c02193
    Open access (hybrid)

  24. 4 January 2019

    Photochemical degradation affects the light absorption of water-soluble brown carbon in the South Asian outflow

    Sanjeev Dasari, August Andersson, Srinivas Bikkina, Henry Holmstrand, Krishnakant Budhavant, Sreedharan Satheesh, Eija Asmi, Jutta Kesti, John Backman, Abdus Salam, Deewan Singh Bisht, Suresh Tiwari, Zahid Hameed, Örjan Gustafsson

    Science Advances, 5(1)

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon


    10.1126/sciadv.aau8066
    Open access (gold)

  25. 8 July 2018

    Particulate black carbon and gaseous emission from brick kilns in Greater Dhaka region, Bangladesh

    Md Imdadul Haque, Kamrun Nahar, Md Humayun Kabir, Abdus Salam

    Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 11(8), 925-935

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.1007/s11869-018-0596-y

  26. 2018

    Emission of Carbonaceous Species from Biomass Burning in the Traditional Rural Cooking Stove in Bangladesh

    Morshad Ahmed, M. Das, T. Afser, M. Rokonujjaman, T. Akther, A. Salam

    Open Journal of Air Pollution, 07(04), 287-297

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.4236/ojap.2018.74014
    Open access (diamond)

  27. 15 December 2012

    Source Identification of Carbonaceous Aerosols During Winter Months in the Dhaka City

    Bilkis A Begum, Kollol Roy, Fakrul Islam, A Salam, Philip K Hopke

    Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, 36(2), 241-250

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources


    10.3329/jbas.v36i2.12970
    Open access (diamond)

  28. 11 December 2011

    Carbonaceous species in total suspended particulate matters at different urban and suburban locations in the Greater Dhaka region, Bangladesh

    Abdus Salam, Md. Basir Ullah, Md. Safiqul Islam, Md. Abdus Salam, Shah M. Ullah

    Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 6(1), 239-245

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka


    10.1007/s11869-011-0166-z

Theses 5

  1. Completed 2023

    Emission of water-soluble brown carbon from different combustion sources: Optical properties and Characterisation of Functional group

    Md. Al-Amin Hossen

    Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam

    Atmospheric Science

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources

  2. Completed 2023

    Real time black carbon and brown carbon measurements in the ambient atmosphere of Dhaka,Bangladesh

    Sammim Tabassum Mim

    Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam
    Co-supervisor: Shatabdi Roy

    Black carbon, brown carbon, aethalometer

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon

  3. Completed 2024

    Black Carbon (BC), Brown Carbon (BrC) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Exposure to Commuters in Public Transport in Dhaka City

    Merajul Azam

    Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam
    Co-supervisor: Samiha Nahian

    Atmospheric Science

    Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka

  4. Completed 2025

    Identification and quantification of phenolic compound and observed optical properties of Brown carbon from biomass burning and coil combustion

    Mehedi Hasan Shakil

    Supervisor: Samiha Nahian
    Co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam

    Environmental Quantification

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Source apportionment and emission sources

  5. Completed 2024

    Composition, Formation Mechanism and Optical Properties of Brown Carbon with Chemical Characterization of Atmospheric Fine Particulate Matter in Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Md. Al-Amin Hossen

    Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Abdus Salam

    Atmospheric Science

    Aerosol optical properties and remote sensing Carbonaceous aerosols: black carbon and brown carbon Urban and indoor air quality in Dhaka