compliance with guideline values. The requirements for using such devices are that the measurement range matches the range of ambient levels,
that their accuracy and precision are sufficiently
high, and that proper calibration and validation are
conducted.
Since the Dockery and Pope studies in the US in
the 1990s, it has been known that exposure to air
pollution poses not only short-term (acute) but also
long-term (chronic) health effects in the population. Recent research by the Max Planck Institute
of Chemistry has established that the impact of air
pollution is on the scale of a global pandemic,
causing the loss of 8.8 million lives annually.
Despite substantial improvements in many parts
of the world, globally, air pollution is still the
most hazardous environmental threat. The increasing quality of exposure assessments, access to new
and better statistical methods, and more complete
and precise health data have led to stronger associations between air pollution exposure and health
effects. More health endpoints have been added to
the list in recent years and health effects are seen at
lower pollutant levels that were previously known
or even expected. During the 2020 Corona crises, it
was even speculated, that the death risk related to
Corona infection may be strongly affected by
simultaneous exposure to high air pollution levels.
Air pollution exposure-effect relationships have
now been established for a wide variety of health
outcomes, and well documented through parallel
studies in many countries around the world using a
variety of approaches and methodologies. Assessments of the health effects in the population are
now performed on a routine basis in many countries and by many agencies, and often these also
include calculation of externalities associated with
the negative health effects. Again, such knowledge
is essential for pushing development towards a
more sustainable society.
This book has been divided into three sections:
• Ground-Level Localized Air Quality
• Regional and Global Air Quality and Effects
• Sensors, Measurement, and Control
There are eight chapters in the section GroundLevel Localized Air Quality that focus on
pollution with a variation on local spatial scales
and typically with a shorter lifetime. This section is
of particular interest in pollution exposure, as obviously, this is where people spend their time.
The article ▶ “Air Quality Guidelines and
Standards” by McClellan details the regulatory
framework used in air quality management.
There is growing recognition of the impacts of
shipping and railways on emissions and air quality, and Boulter’s entry ▶ “Air Quality, Surface
Transportation Impacts on” seeks to quantify the
issues and place them in context.
Rezaei and Johnson’s ▶ “Airborne Nanoparticles: Control and Detection” discusses the
state of the art for the control and detection of
airborne nanoparticles. Unfortunately, given the
increased attention they are receiving, the chemical and physical properties of nanoparticles make
them a challenge to detect and control.
▶ “Indoor Air Quality: Status and Standards”
(Hasager et al.) is an essential entry in terms of air
pollution exposure, as people spend nearly 90% of
their time indoors.
The meteorological processes leading to the
vertical mixing of pollutants after emission and
their horizontal transport by the wind are
described in the entry ▶ “Urban Air Quality:
Meteorological Processes” by Carruthers, Di
Sabatino, and Hunt. Computational models used
to describe these processes are also included.
▶ “Urban Air Quality: Sources and Concentrations” by Goodsite, Hertel, Johnson, and
Jørgensen was updated to reflect the latest developments with particular attention given recent
technological advances, as well as the latest
research from around the world.
The complementary entry ▶ “Urban Atmospheric Composition Processes” (Bloss) describes
the key chemical reactions which serve both to
limit the concentrations of toxic pollutants and
control concentrations of secondary pollutants
such as ozone and airborne particles, important
to human health and regional pollution.
Surface water links climate change and sustainability with the human environment. Poor
management of urban surface water can have serious effects. The article by Sørensen, ▶ “Urban
Drainage Modelling for Management of Urban
2
Air Pollution Sources, Statistics, and Health Effects: Introduction
that their accuracy and precision are sufficiently
high, and that proper calibration and validation are
conducted.
Since the Dockery and Pope studies in the US in
the 1990s, it has been known that exposure to air
pollution poses not only short-term (acute) but also
long-term (chronic) health effects in the population. Recent research by the Max Planck Institute
of Chemistry has established that the impact of air
pollution is on the scale of a global pandemic,
causing the loss of 8.8 million lives annually.
Despite substantial improvements in many parts
of the world, globally, air pollution is still the
most hazardous environmental threat. The increasing quality of exposure assessments, access to new
and better statistical methods, and more complete
and precise health data have led to stronger associations between air pollution exposure and health
effects. More health endpoints have been added to
the list in recent years and health effects are seen at
lower pollutant levels that were previously known
or even expected. During the 2020 Corona crises, it
was even speculated, that the death risk related to
Corona infection may be strongly affected by
simultaneous exposure to high air pollution levels.
Air pollution exposure-effect relationships have
now been established for a wide variety of health
outcomes, and well documented through parallel
studies in many countries around the world using a
variety of approaches and methodologies. Assessments of the health effects in the population are
now performed on a routine basis in many countries and by many agencies, and often these also
include calculation of externalities associated with
the negative health effects. Again, such knowledge
is essential for pushing development towards a
more sustainable society.
This book has been divided into three sections:
• Ground-Level Localized Air Quality
• Regional and Global Air Quality and Effects
• Sensors, Measurement, and Control
There are eight chapters in the section GroundLevel Localized Air Quality that focus on
pollution with a variation on local spatial scales
and typically with a shorter lifetime. This section is
of particular interest in pollution exposure, as obviously, this is where people spend their time.
The article ▶ “Air Quality Guidelines and
Standards” by McClellan details the regulatory
framework used in air quality management.
There is growing recognition of the impacts of
shipping and railways on emissions and air quality, and Boulter’s entry ▶ “Air Quality, Surface
Transportation Impacts on” seeks to quantify the
issues and place them in context.
Rezaei and Johnson’s ▶ “Airborne Nanoparticles: Control and Detection” discusses the
state of the art for the control and detection of
airborne nanoparticles. Unfortunately, given the
increased attention they are receiving, the chemical and physical properties of nanoparticles make
them a challenge to detect and control.
▶ “Indoor Air Quality: Status and Standards”
(Hasager et al.) is an essential entry in terms of air
pollution exposure, as people spend nearly 90% of
their time indoors.
The meteorological processes leading to the
vertical mixing of pollutants after emission and
their horizontal transport by the wind are
described in the entry ▶ “Urban Air Quality:
Meteorological Processes” by Carruthers, Di
Sabatino, and Hunt. Computational models used
to describe these processes are also included.
▶ “Urban Air Quality: Sources and Concentrations” by Goodsite, Hertel, Johnson, and
Jørgensen was updated to reflect the latest developments with particular attention given recent
technological advances, as well as the latest
research from around the world.
The complementary entry ▶ “Urban Atmospheric Composition Processes” (Bloss) describes
the key chemical reactions which serve both to
limit the concentrations of toxic pollutants and
control concentrations of secondary pollutants
such as ozone and airborne particles, important
to human health and regional pollution.
Surface water links climate change and sustainability with the human environment. Poor
management of urban surface water can have serious effects. The article by Sørensen, ▶ “Urban
Drainage Modelling for Management of Urban
2
Air Pollution Sources, Statistics, and Health Effects: Introduction