Richard E. Peltier

Richard E. Peltier, MPH, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences in the School of Public Health & Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he directs an exposure-assessment laboratory focusing on air pollution, sensor technology and environmental justice.

Education & Training: Details of degrees not explicitly listed in the supplied text, but he holds MPH and PhD credentials.

Research Interests: Peltier’s work integrates low-cost aerosol sensors, mobile monitoring platforms and advanced chemical speciation to quantify fine particulate matter, black carbon, wood smoke tracers and heavy metals across diverse environments—from NYC subways and NJ harbour to Indigenous sub-arctic communities and megacities in Nepal and India. He couples these measurements with epidemiological indicators such as respiratory inflammation, blood pressure and oxidative stress to illuminate exposure–response relationships and to inform environmental-justice policy.

Publication Trends: Across 40+ peer-reviewed articles (2008-2023) his research exhibits a clear trajectory: early method development for PM chemical characterization (nickel/vanadium from residual oil, traffic tracers, organosulfates) → deployment of high-time-resolution sensors in complex urban sources → health-impact studies in vulnerable populations → intervention evaluation (cloth masks, respirator decontamination, hookah ventilation). Recent outputs increasingly frame findings within environmental-justice contexts, advocating for evidence-based policy at EPA and global agencies.

Funding & Grants: While specific grant numbers are not listed, Peltier is identified as PI or co-I on projects supported by NSF, NIH, the Health Effects Institute and Massachusetts state agencies, indicating a robust externally funded research program.

Laboratory & Teams: He leads the Peltier Exposure Assessment Lab located in 149E Goessmann Laboratory, UMass Amherst, which maintains state-of-the-art aerosol instrumentation and mentors graduate and undergraduate students in environmental health sciences.