He won the Gibbs Prize[9] in 1949 and completed a DPhil in chemistry at Oxford University in 1953 before starting his professional career as a chemist.

While at AERE, he spent several months in 1956 attending the British nuclear tests at Maralinga in Australia to study the environmental effects of radiation.

[4] Bowen realized that the calibration of different instruments intended to measure trace elements was an important issue that needed addressing.

[4] Although not entirely successful in reality at the time due to the rough seas, this lateral thinking combined his interest in chemistry with his love of nature and has since been effectively deployed to protect ports and harbours against encroaching oil slicks.

[13] He pointed out that hexavalent chromium in dust can cause dermatitis ulceration on the skin, inflammation of the nasal mucosa and larynx, and lung cancer.