The ECG interview: Emma C. Braysher

Dr Emma Braysher is a Senior Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the Air Quality and Aerosol Metrology Group. Emma runs the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) facility, conducting research in pollutant characterisation using elemental, isotope ratio and single particle analysis. She also leads electrometer calibrations for measurement of nanoparticles. Emma’s PhD, researching development of reference materials and evaluation of decay data in support of characterisation of naturally occurring radioactive material, was awarded by the University of Surrey in 2021. Emma joined the committee for the RSC Environmental Chemistry Group in 2024.

What inspired you to become a scientist?

Although I was interested in science since school, it was my placement year during my undergraduate degree that I was really encouraged to pursue a career in science research. Being in the lab, carrying out experiments that would have a real-world impact convinced me that this was something I wanted to do, and it felt very different from sitting in a lecture theatre or completing a scripted practical as part of my degree. I spent my placement year investigating how mercury pollution in ambient air is measured and my work resulted in a peer-reviewed publication, was a big achievement.

Could you describe your current job?

My role involves running one of NPL’s two ICP-MS facilities. I oversee measurement service work, routine and bespoke analysis of customer samples, and research work for a range of UK-based and international projects. As NPL is the UK’s National Metrology Institute, our measurements provide traceability and comparability to enable cutting-edge science. This means that there is a wide range of applications I get to work on which keeps the job exciting.

What are some of the challenges facing the environmental chemistry community?

Generally, air quality is improving over time as we gain a better understanding of it, which is a positive story. However, with these improvements come new challenges. As the concentration of pollutants in air becomes smaller, and regulation more stringent, we must ensure our analytical methods can match this and provide robust measurements with increasingly lower detection limits.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your career so far?

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with customers on bespoke jobs; being able to collaborate with them to solve their measurement problems. This often results in a new capability, or a unique way of addressing a measurement, and I learn a lot of information about a new topic!