About Chunrong Jia

Dr. Jia’s primary area of research is exposure and risk assessment of organic compounds in the ambient and indoor air. Specific research interests include community air toxics, indoor air quality (IAQ), measurement methods for air pollutants, and environmental health disparities. The air pollutants in his studies include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM). The range and scope of his research are reflected in near 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, over 50 conference presentations, and a number of scientific reports. Dr. Jia's environmental monitoring laboratory has sophisticated instruments (e.g., GC/MS and HPLC) that can measure a wide range of air pollutants. Dr. Jia was a Harvard-JPB Environmental Health Fellow in 2014-2018. He also serves on Tennessee Air Pollution Control Board.

Education

• PhD, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, U.S.A., 2007
• ME, Environmental Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, China, 2001
• BS, Environmental Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China, 1998

Research Interests

• Air pollution exposure and risk assessment
• Indoor air quality (IAQ)
• Community air monitoring
• Environmental epidemiology
• Sampling and analytical techniques for air pollutants
• Environmental disparity

Selected Publications

1. Batbaatar N, Smith A, Jia C, Naser AM, Mou X, Vidal G, Starlard-Davenport A. 2025. Association of environmental factors with breast cancer incidence among African American women in Memphis, Tennessee. International Journal of Environmental Health Research 1-13.
2. Jia C, Fu X, Webster TF, Ceballos DM. 2024. Fragrance chemicals in nail salons: Personal inhalation exposures and potential sources. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 15(9):102236.
3. Jia C. 2024. Chapter 13. Geospatial Tools for Environmental Health Issues. In: Spatial Literacy in Public Health: Faculty-Librarian Teaching Collaborations. Cantwell-Jurkovic LP and Parece TE (Ed.). American Library Association. ISBN: 979-8-89255-547-0.
4. Jia C, Fu X, Jiang Y, Nored A, Smith L, 2023. Spatiotemporal variability and measurement uncertainty in atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs): A quantitative variance component analysis. Atmospheric Environment 302: 119735.
5. Jia C, Fu X, Nored A, Batbaatar N, Smith L. 2023. Comparison of generic Tenax and specialized PAH tubes for monitoring polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the ambient air. Atmospheric Pollution Research. 14(6): 101780.
6. Jia C, Fu X, Chauhan B, Xue Z, Kedia RJ, Mishra CS. 2022. Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at gas stations: a probabilistic analysis. Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health 15:465–477.
7. Chen X, Duan X, Cao S, Wen D, Zhang Y, Wang B, Jia C. 2022. Source apportionment based on lead isotope ratios: Could domestic dog's blood lead be used to identify the level and sources of lead pollution in children? Chemosphere 308, 136197.
8. Jia C, Holt J, Nicholson H, Browder JE, Fu X, Yu X, Adkins R. 2021. Identification of origins and influencing factors of environmental odor episodes using trajectory and proximity analyses. Journal of Environmental Management. 295:113084.
9. Fu X, Hernández D, Attinson DN, Kponee K, Bartelli D, Gretz A, Smith J, Jia C. 2021. Airborne 2,5-dimethylfuran as a marker to indicate exposure to indoor tobacco and biomass burning smoke. Atmospheric Environment. 259:118509.
10. Jia C, Xue Z, Fu X, Sultana F, Smith L, Zhang Y, Li Y, Liu B. 2020. Impacts of Independence Day fireworks on pollution levels of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the U.S. Science of the Total Environment 743:140774.