Air Quality Monitoring Assessment And Management

Human beings need to breathe oxygen diluted in certain quantity of inert gas for living. In the atmosphere, there is a gas mixture of, mainly, oxygen and nitrogen, in appropriate proportions. However, the air also contains other gases, vapours and aerosols that humans incorporate when breathing and whose composition and concentration vary spatially. Some of these are physiologically inert. Air pollution has become a problem of major concern in the last few decades as it has caused negative effects on human health, nature and properties. This book presents the results of research studies carried out by international researchers in seventeen chapters which can be grouped into two main sections: a) air quality monitoring and b) air quality assessment and management, and serves as a source of material for all those involved in the field, whether as a student, scientific researcher, industrialist, consultant, or government agency with responsibility in this area.

Air Quality Assessment and Management: A Practical Guide describes the techniques available for an assessment while detailing the concepts and methodologies involved. It reviews the principles of air quality management; primary sources of air pollution; impact of emissions on human health, flora and fauna; scoping of air quality impacts; baseline monitoring; impact prediction; impact significance; and pollution mitigation and control. Emphasis will be placed on the practical side of AQA, with numerous international case studies and exercises to aid the reader in their understanding of concepts and applications.

AIR QUALITY MONITORING AND CONTROL STRATEGY essentially deals with air quality and underlines a strategy to improve it. To this effect this volume describes briefly the problem of air pollution, impact of various pollutants present in the indoor/outdoor atmosphere on health, the various monitoring techniques/instruments and their practical use, instructions, precautions etc., control instrumentation and environment impact assessment. The answer to questions like the need for air quality monitoring, choice of monitoring location and parameters, averaging time and frequencies etc. has been provided along with the basic statistics required to work out certain statistical figures in air quality. The science of meteorology, an important subject that takes care of dispersion/dilution of air pollutants at a place, has been discussed briefly. A chapter on noise pollution, another vital air toxicant, has also been dealt with to a certain limit. Two case studies have been incorporated to elucidate the importance of EIA and the need to develop a strategy for management of ambient air quality. Revised new standards have also been included.

Air Quality Assessment and Management: A Practical Guide describes the techniques available for an assessment while detailing the concepts and methodologies involved. It reviews the principles of air quality management; primary sources of air pollution; impact of emissions on human health, flora and fauna; scoping of air quality impacts; baseline monitoring; impact prediction; impact significance; and pollution mitigation and control. Emphasis will be placed on the practical side of AQA, with numerous international case studies and exercises to aid the reader in their understanding of concepts and applications.

Human beings need to breathe oxygen diluted in certain quantity of inert gas for living. In the atmosphere, there is a gas mixture of, mainly, oxygen and nitrogen, in appropriate proportions. However, the air also contains other gases, vapours and aerosols that humans incorporate when breathing and whose composition and concentration vary spatially. Some of these are physiologically inert. Air pollution has become a problem of major concern in the last few decades as it has caused negative effects on human health, nature and properties. This book presents the results of research studies carried out by international researchers in seventeen chapters which can be grouped into two main sections: a) air quality monitoring and b) air quality assessment and management, and serves as a source of material for all those involved in the field, whether as a student, scientific researcher, industrialist, consultant, or government agency with responsibility in this area.

A guide to the principles and methods of air quality assessment aimed at measuring population exposure to ambient air pollutants and estimating the effects on health. Addressed to policy-makers as well as scientists engaged in air quality monitoring, the book responds to the failure of most monitoring systems to provide data that are useful in estimating and managing threats to health. The need for exposure data on populations at special risk is also addressed. Throughout, emphasis is placed on methods of monitoring and modelling that are cost-effective, targeted, and appropriate to local and national conditions. The report has six chapters. The first introduces WHO activities related to air quality management and explains the need for monitoring systems capable of assessing health impact. The types of information required for health impact assessment are described in chapter two, which outlines several methods of monitoring and modelling that can be used to measure the level and distribution of exposure to air pollutants in populations, identify population groups with high exposure, and estimate adverse effects on health. Chapter three formulates a general concept of air quality assessment, offering advice on principles for designing a monitoring network, interpreting and reporting data, and solving problems with quality assurance. Also included is a comparison of the advantages, disadvantages, and costs of different methods for air quality monitoring. Against this background, the fourth and most extensive chapter describes specific methods for the monitoring of carbon monoxide, ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, lead, and atmospheric cadmium. Monitoring strategies for each pollutant are presented according to a standard format, which covers health effects, sources and exposure patterns, monitoring methods, recommended strategies for monitoring and assessment, and a practical example. The remaining chapters offer advice on the collation, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data, and summarize the main conclusions and recommendations of the report. Detailed technical guidelines for the use of various methods and models are provided in a series of annexes. The report also reproduces the newly revised WHO air quality guidelines for Europe.

Human beings need to breathe oxygen diluted in certain quantity of inert gas for living. The atmosphere is a complex natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems. Air pollution has become a problem of major concern in the last few decades as it has caused negative effects on human health, nature and properties. Air is considered to be polluted when it contains certain substances in concentrations high enough and for durations long enough to cause harm or undesirable effects. The atmosphere is susceptible to pollution from natural sources as well as from human activities. To improve air quality, it is important for governments, industry and the public to understand the interconnected components of an air quality management system. Air quality management (AQM) refers to all the activities to make sure that the air we breathe is safe, both outdoors and indoors. The AQM process is the system of understanding the sources that contribute to pollution in the air and the health and environmental effects of the pollutants, and then taking steps to reduce or control the sources to reach or maintain agreed upon target pollution levels in the air. These levels may vary from country to country, but the overall system for planning, assessing, characterizing, mitigating, and implementing control strategies is similar. While AQM is generally handled at the national government level, regional and local governments, industry, and the public all have important roles to play in this system. Each air quality management activity is related to the others. This book, entitled Air Quality Monitoring, Assessment and Management is invaluable tool for all those, whether as a student, researcher, entrepreneur, consultant, or government agency with obligation in this area.

This contributed volume is primarily intended for graduate and professional audiences. The book provides a basic understanding of urban air quality issues, root causes for local and urban air pollution, monitoring and modelling techniques, assessment, and control options to manage air quality at local and urban scale. The book also offers useful information on indoor air quality and smart sensors, which are gaining much importance in current times.