I am Ph.D. and an interdisciplinary environmental and Earth scientist whose teaching and research integrate quantitative, spatial, geochemical, and field-based approaches to understanding urban and human-impacted environments. My methodological experience includes data science and statistical analysis, GIS and spatial analysis, geochemistry, fieldwork, environmental monitoring, and interpretation of complex environmental datasets. I am particularly interested in urban environmental processes, contaminant transport and accumulation, environmental forensics, and source apportionment, especially potentially toxic elements (Cd, As, Sb, Pb, Bi, Mo, etc.) in atmospheric aerosols and precipitation, snow cover, road dust, soils, surface water, suspended sediments, bottom sediments, terrestrial and aquatic plants. My work combines geochemical indicators, spatial patterns, statistical methods, and information on land use and human activity to investigate contaminant sources, pathways, environmental change, and human-environment interactions.

Previously, I worked as a scientist, lecturer, and professor in Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Illinois, and here in Tennessee at the MTSU School of Agriculture. In my previous research, I studied contamination of urban environmental compartments in the northernmost megacity in the world – Moscow – with potentially toxic elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, who was responsible, and what outcomes for public health this might have had. I also took part in the study of geological, geographical, and environmental factors of distribution of chemical elements in aquatic systems, mainly using the example of the Selenga River basin, the biggest inflow basin into the oldest, deepest, and largest freshwater lake (by volume) on our planet – Lake Baikal. And during COVID-19 pandemic, I studied how lockdowns affected atmospheric aerosol and precipitation pollution by chemical elements (not all elements had their concentrations decrease due to reduced traffic emissions; some elements, on the contrary, increased in levels, as a lot of garbage and plant debris was burned in the suburbs, where people moved closer to nature to wait out the lockdowns).

I taught courses at MTSU, School of Agriculture (Fundamentals of Soil Science), Illinois State University, USA (Planet Earth, Natural Disasters, Medical Geology, Urban Geochemistry), Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia) and its branch in Astana (Kazakhstan), and in Shenzhen MSU-BIT University (China): Urban Geochemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Aerosol and Road Dust Geochemistry, Medical Geochemistry, Soil Science. In teaching, I emphasize practical, interdisciplinary problem-solving through field observations, laboratory and geochemical data, quantitative analysis, and spatial interpretation, connecting Earth and environmental sciences with urban sustainability, pollution mitigation, and the relationships between human activities and environmental systems.

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Peer-reviewed journal articles:

1. Bezberdaya L., Enchilik P., Kosheleva N., Vasilchuk J., Semenkov I., Vlasov D., Kasimov N., 2026. Isolation of microparticles from soils and road dust to determine their elemental composition. Eurasian Soil Science 59, Article N: 31. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229325602161

2. Vlasov D., Kosheleva N., Shinkareva G., Kasimov N., 2025. Contamination assessment and source identification of metals and metalloids in submicron road dust (PM1) in Moscow Megacity. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 32, 2085–2106. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35791-5

3. Kasimov N.S., Vasil’chuk J.Yu., Tereshina M.A., Chalov S.R., Erina O.N., Kosheleva N.E., Shinkareva G., Sokolov D.I., Vlasov D., Konoplev A.V., 2025. Metals and metalloids pollution levels, partitioning, and sources in the environmental compartments of a small urban catchment in Moscow megacity. Environmental Pollution 367, 125552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125552

4. Kasimov N.S., Kosheleva N.E., Popovicheva O.B., Chalov S.R., Bezberdaya L.A., Vlasov D.V., Erina O.N., Lychagin M.Yu., Chichaeva M.A., Shinkareva G.L., 2025. Ecogeochemistry of microparticles in the environment. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 80, 1, 3–23

5. Vlasov D., Eremina I., Kosheleva N., Shinkareva G., Chubarova N., Kasimov N., 2024. Potentially hazardous elements in atmospheric precipitation during the warm season (May-September) of 2019 in Moscow. Geography, Environment, Sustainability 3, 17, 70–84. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2024-3408

6. Kasimov N., Chalov S., Chubarova N., Kosheleva N., Popovicheva O,, Shartova N., Stepanenko V., Androsova E., Chichaeva M., Erina O., Kirsanov A., Kovach R., Revich B., Shinkareva G., Tereshina M., Varentsov M., Vasil'chuk J., Vlasov D., Denisova I., Minkina T., 2024. Urban heat and pollution island in the Moscow megacity: Urban environmental compartments and their interactions. Urban Climate 55, 101972. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2024.101972

7. Vlasov D., Kasimov N., Eremina I., Shinkareva G., Chubarova N., 2023. Major ions and potentially toxic elements in atmospheric precipitation during the COVID-19 lockdown in Moscow megacity. Urban Climate 48, 101422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101422

8. Vlasov D.V., Vasil’chuk J.Yu., Kosheleva N.E., Kasimov N.S., 2023. Contamination levels and source apportionment of potentially toxic elements in size-fractionated road dust of Moscow. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 30, 38099–38120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24934-1

9. Kosheleva N.E., Vlasov D.V., Timofeev I.V., Samsonov T.E., Kasimov N.S., 2023. Benzo[a]pyrene in Moscow road dust: pollution levels and health risks. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 45, 1669–1694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-022-01287-9

10. Serdyukova A., Vlasov D., Popovicheva O., Kosheleva N., Chichaeva M., Kasimov N., 2023. Elemental composition of atmospheric PM10 during COVID-19 lockdown and recovery periods in Moscow (April–July 2020). Environmental Geochemistry and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01698-2

11. Zappi A., Popovicheva O., Tositti L., Chichaeva M., Eremina I., Kasper-Giebl A., Tsai Y., Vlasov D., Kasimov N., 2023. Factors influencing aerosol and precipitation ion chemistry in urban background of Moscow megacity. Atmospheric Environment 294, 119458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119458

12. Kasimov N., Kosheleva N., Popovicheva O., Vlasov D., Shinkareva G., Erina O., Chichaeva M., Kovach R., Zavgorodnyaya Y., Lychagin M., 2023. Moscow megacity pollution: Monitoring of chemical composition of microparticles in the atmosphere–snow–road dust–surface water–soil system. Russian Meteorology and Hydrology 48, 391–401. https://doi.org/10.3103/S1068373923050011

13. Vlasov D., Ramírez O., Luhar A., 2022. Road dust in urban and industrial environments: Sources, pollutants, impacts, and management. Atmosphere 13, 607. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13040607

14. Vlasov D.V., Kukushkina O.V., Kosheleva N.E., Kasimov N.S., 2022. Levels and factors of the accumulation of metals and metalloids in roadside soils, road dust and their PM10 fraction in the Western Okrug of Moscow. Eurasian Soil Science 55, 556–572. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229322050118

15. Vlasov D., Kasimov N., Eremina I., Shinkareva G., Chubarova N., 2021. Partitioning and solubilities of metals and metalloids in spring rains in Moscow megacity. Atmospheric Pollution Research 12, 255–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2020.09.012

16. Vlasov D., Kosheleva N., Kasimov N., 2021. Spatial distribution and sources of potentially toxic elements in road dust and its PM10 fraction of Moscow megacity. Science of the Total Environment 761, 143267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143267

17. Vlasov D.V., Eremina I.D., Shinkareva G.L., Chubarova N.E., Kasimov N.S., 2021. Daily variations in wet deposition and washout rates of potentially toxic elements in Moscow during spring season. Geography, Environment, Sustainability 14, 219–233. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2020-162

18. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., Kosheleva N.E., 2021. Chemical composition of road dust and its PM10 fraction as a pollution indicator of the urban environment. Ecology and Industry of Russia 25, 43–49.

19. Vodyanitskii Y., Vlasov D., 2021. Integrated assessment of affinity to chemical fractions and environmental pollution with heavy metals: A new approach based on sequential extraction results. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, 8458. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168458

20. Vlasov D., Vasil’chuk J., Kosheleva N., Kasimov N., 2020. Dissolved and suspended forms of metals and metalloids in snow cover of megacity: Partitioning and deposition rates in western Moscow. Atmosphere 11, 907. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11090907

21. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., Kosheleva N.E., 2020. Enrichment of road dust particles and adjacent environments with metals and metalloids in eastern Moscow. Urban Climate 32, 100638. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2020.100638

22. Vlasov D.V., Shinkareva G.L., Kasimov N.S., 2019. Metals and metalloids in bottom sediments of lakes and ponds of the eastern part of Moscow. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 4, 43–52.

23. Kasimov N.S., Kosheleva N.E., Vlasov D.V., Nabelkina K.S., Ryzhov A.V., 2019. Physicochemical properties of road dust in Moscow. Geography, Environment, Sustainability 12, 96–113. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2019-55

24. Kosheleva N.E., Vlasov D.V., Korlyakov I.D., Kasimov N.S., 2018. Contamination of urban soils with heavy metals in Moscow as affected by building development. Science of the Total Environment 636, 854–863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.308

25. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2018. Heavy metals and metalloids in urban soils of Russian cities (according to the annual reports of Rosgidromet). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 3, 14–22.

26. Kasimov N.S., Kosheleva N.E., Nikiforova E.M., Vlasov D.V., 2017. Benzo[a]pyrene in urban environments of eastern Moscow: pollution levels and critical loads. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 17, 2217–2227. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-2217-2017

27. Kosheleva N.E., Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., Nikiforova E.M., 2017. Critical loads of benzo(a)pyrene on urban soils. Doklady Earth Sciences 472, 95–99. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1028334X17010159

28. Vlasov D.V., 2017. Concept of sustainable development in Russian thesis works (1987–2015). Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 2, 16–23.

29. Vlasov D.V., 2017. Metals and metalloids in PM10 fraction of the road dust of Eastern Moscow. RUDN Journal of Ecology and Life Safety 25, 529–539.

30. Vlasov D.V., 2017. Factors of accumulation and depletion of heavy metals and metalloids in dandelion leaves in Moscow. RUDN Journal of Ecology and Life Safety 25, 230–241.

31. Vlasov D.V., Kasimov N.S., Kosheleva N.E., 2017. Mapping of landscape and geochemical structure of urban territory (Moscow case study). InterCarto/InterGIS 23, 242–255.

32. Vlasov D.V., Kasimov N.S., 2016. Geochemical anomalies of metals and metalloids in landscape components of the eastern part of Moscow: parageneses of chemical elements and typology. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 3, 50–57.

33. Vlasov D.V., Kasimov N.S., Kosheleva N.E., 2015. Geochemistry of the road dust in the Eastern district of Moscow. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 1, 23–33.

34. Vlasov D.V., Kasimov N.S., 2015. Heavy metals in maple and dandelion leaves from different land-use areas in Moscow’s Eastern District. Geography, Environment, Sustainability 8, 53–70.

35. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2015. Clarkes of chemical elements as comparison standards in ecogeochemistry. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 2, 7–17.

36. Kosheleva N.E., Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2015. Factors of the accumulation of heavy metals and metalloids at geochemical barriers in urban soils. Eurasian Soil Science 48, 476–492. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229315050038

37. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2014. Global and regional geochemical indexes of production of chemical elements. Geography, Environment, Sustainability 7, 52–65.

38. Kosheleva N.E., Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2014. Impact of geochemical barriers on the accumulation of heavy metals in urban soils. Doklady Earth Sciences 458(1), 1149–1153. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1028334X14090165

39. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2012. Technophility of chemical elements in the beginning of the 21st century. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 1, 15–22.

40. Kasimov N.S., Kosheleva N.E., Vlasov D.V., Terskaya E.V., 2012. Geochemistry of snow cover within the Eastern District of Moscow. Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta, Seriya Geografiya (Lomonosov Geography Journal) 4, 14–24.

41. Bityukova V.R., Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., 2011. Environmental portrait of Russian cities. Ecology and Industry of Russia 4, 6–18.  

Books:

1. Arzamazova A.V., Bityukova V.R., Vasil’chuk J.Y., Vasil’chuk Y.K., Vlasov D.V., et al., 2025 Urban Ecology. Curriculum for the Interfaculty Master's Degree Program: Teaching and Learning Manual / Managing Eds. N.S. Kasimov, N.E. Kosheleva; Eds. A.A. Rakhleeva, M.A. Smirnova, M.F. Dorokhova. Nauka, Moscow. 206 p. ISBN 978-5-907673-66-3.

2. Kasimov N., Kosheleva N., Vlasov D., Vasil’chuk J., Eremina I., Shinkareva G., Chubarova N., Popovicheva O., Chichaeva M., Chalov S., Nikiforova E., Meinander O.,  et al., 2023. Chemical composition of microparticles in the environment of Moscow. Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow. 300 p.

3. Vlasov D., Ramírez O., Luhar A. (Eds.), 2022. Road dust in urban and industrial environments: Sources, pollutants, impacts, and management. MDPI Books, Basel. 283 p. https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-0365-3986-7.

4. Chubarova N., Zhdanova Y., Androsova Y., Kirsanov A., Shatunova M., Khlestova Y., Volpert Y., Poliukhov A., Eremina I., Vlasov D., Popovicheva O., Ivanov A., Gorbarenko Y., Nezval Y., Blinov D., Rivin G., 2020. The aerosol urban pollution and its effects on weather, regional climate and geochemical processes. LLC MAKS Press, Moscow, Russia. 339 p.

5. Adzhiev A.H., Bartalyov S.A., Bekkiev M.Y., Biryukov M.V., Biryukova O.N., Bityukova V.R., Bobylev S.N., Bogdanova M.D., Bozhilina E.A., Bronnikova V.K., Budarina O.I., Vlasov D.V., Volkova E.A., et al., 2017. Ecological Atlas of Russia. Feoria, Moscow. 510 p. ISBN: 978-5-91796-034-0.

6. Kasimov N.S., Gennadiev A.N., Velichkin V.I., Avessalomova I.A., Aleksandrova E.V., Alexeenko A.V., Alexeenko V.A., Asadulin E.E., Aseeva E.N., Bogdanova M.D., Borisenko E.N., Vlasov D.V., Gerasimova M.I., et al., 2017. Landscape geochemistry: The 100th birthday of A.I. Perelman. ARP, Moscow. 544 p. ISBN: 978-5-904761-73-8.

7. Kasimov N.S., Vlasov D.V., Kosheleva N.E., Nikiforova E.M., 2016. Landscape geochemistry of Eastern Moscow. ARP, Moscow. 276 p. ISBN: 978-5-904761-62-2.

8. Bityukova V.R., Vlasov D.V., Dorokhova M.F., Kasimov N.S., Kislyakova N.Yu., Kirillov P.L., Kosheleva N.E., Nikiforova E.M., Petukhova N.V., Ryzhov A.V., Savoskul M.S., Saulskaya T.D., Shartova N.V., 2016. East – West of Moscow: a spatial analysis of social and environmental issues. Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow. 70 p. ISBN: 978-5-600-01504-3.

9. Kasimov N.S., Bityukova V.R., Malkhazova S.M., Koshekeva N.E., Nikiforova E.M., Shartova N.V., Vlasov D.V., Timonin S.A., Krainov V.N., 2014. Regions and cities of Russia: The integrated assessment of the environment. IP Filimonov M.V., Moscow. 560 p. ISBN: 978-5-8131-0126-7.

Abstracts in conference proceedings:

> 50 (incl. international conferences, e.g. EGU General Assembly, IGU, EUROGEO, EAC, Air Quality – Science and Application, DUST, etc.).

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2022, 2018, 2016: awards for works contributing to solving the problems of the Lomonosov Moscow State University development program in the nominations “Outstanding Scientific Articles” (2022) and “Outstanding Publications” (2018, 2016)

2021: scholarship of Lomonosov Moscow State University for young employees who have achieved significant results in teaching and research activities

2018: the “Crystal Compass” award from the Russian Geographical Society as co-author of the best publication (“Ecological Atlas of Russia”)

2014: Early Career Scientist's Travel Grant from European Geophysical Union to participate in EGU General Assembly, 27 April–02 May 2014,Vienna, Austria

2010: scholarship named N.N. Przhevalsky for students, Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University

2008: prize-winner of the student competition in Geography of the World Economy (Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University)

2008: prize-winner of the student competition in Soil Science (Faculty of Geography, Lomonosov Moscow State University)

2007: winner of the “Conquer Vorobyovy Gory” Competition among schoolchildren, award is an admission to study at Lomonosov Moscow State University without participation in the entering examination

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