Concentration-response functions (CRFs)
The mathematical relationships between the
environmental concentration of a pollutant
and an effect of the pollutant. Effects, or
responses, could include health effects such
as premature mortality.
Consolidated sustainability metrics Summative
statistics that are a function of a number of data
on different species of pollutants and atmosphe
ric conditions. Consolidated metrics are based
on a prior judgment of the relative importance
of all the data in their calculation. They are desi
gned to give an overall picture and convey a
great deal of information in a single number or i
ndex.
Critical load The maximum amount of pollution
an ecosystem can tolerate without suffering
significant harmful effects, as far as can be
understood given the present understanding.
Critical natural capital Natural capital that cannot be lost without irreparable terminal damage
to ecosystems.
Ecosystem A system supporting life, including
living and nonliving components and the interactions between its components.
Enforcement Action taken or penalties imposed
to correct situations in which emissions or concentrations of pollutants are above the legal limit.
Exposure A time-integrated concentration metric reflecting the potential for intake of
pollutants.
Greenhouse gas Gas which, when in the atmosphere, induces a climate forcing via its ability
to absorb light and convert it to thermal energy.
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) Individual or
families of compounds that can potentially
induce adverse health impacts, including but
not limited to cancer, reproductive effects, or
adverse environmental effects.
Holism The view that systems cannot be understood in exclusion of other systems but must be
understood in relation to the larger whole that
affects all parts within itself.
Mortality A statistical measure quantifying the
number or fraction of deaths among populations.
Multipollutant monitoring Monitoring with
attention to the effects of pollution arising
from the interaction of different species of
pollutants.
Natural capital The natural systems that produce goods such as clean air and provide services such as life support to the biosphere.
Ozone layer A lower stratospheric region of
more concentrated ozone, which absorbs
much of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Particulate matter Solid or liquid particles
suspended in air. PM is not a term that distinguishes particles by chemical species, and individual PM particles can contain a variety of
species. Particulate Matter is often written as
PM 10 or PM 2.5 with the number in subscript
denoting the maximum aerodynamic diameter
in micrometers of the particles being described.
The subscripts (e.g., “2.5”) indicate that the PM
considered is less than the subscript’s value in
micrometers (mm). Particles smaller than about
10 mm are generally considered inhalable with
smaller particles reaching deeper into the lung.
Pedestrian-oriented development Construction
or reconstruction of the urban form designed to
facilitate walking as a primary means of personal transportation.
Point sources Localized emitters of large
amounts of pollution.
Population exposure A statistic accounting for a
population’s distribution throughout the area it
inhabits, the pollution concentration distribution over that area, and the changes in those
distributions over time to represent the macrolevel (population-level) exposure of the population to a pollutant or set of pollutants.
Primary pollutants Pollutants released from a
source directly into the environment in the
given form.
Primary standards US EPA Air pollution standards set to protect public health.
Radiative balance The net radiation to or from
an object or system accounting for total incoming and outgoing radiation. A positive radiative
balance will lead to the warming of the system
considered, while a negative radiative balance
will lead to cooling, assuming no non-radiative
energy flows are at work.
Resilience The ability of a system to renew and
reorganize itself after a shock or major socioecological shift.
Risk-based policy Policy based on the quantification and understanding of the probabilities of
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Air Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability
The mathematical relationships between the
environmental concentration of a pollutant
and an effect of the pollutant. Effects, or
responses, could include health effects such
as premature mortality.
Consolidated sustainability metrics Summative
statistics that are a function of a number of data
on different species of pollutants and atmosphe
ric conditions. Consolidated metrics are based
on a prior judgment of the relative importance
of all the data in their calculation. They are desi
gned to give an overall picture and convey a
great deal of information in a single number or i
ndex.
Critical load The maximum amount of pollution
an ecosystem can tolerate without suffering
significant harmful effects, as far as can be
understood given the present understanding.
Critical natural capital Natural capital that cannot be lost without irreparable terminal damage
to ecosystems.
Ecosystem A system supporting life, including
living and nonliving components and the interactions between its components.
Enforcement Action taken or penalties imposed
to correct situations in which emissions or concentrations of pollutants are above the legal limit.
Exposure A time-integrated concentration metric reflecting the potential for intake of
pollutants.
Greenhouse gas Gas which, when in the atmosphere, induces a climate forcing via its ability
to absorb light and convert it to thermal energy.
Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) Individual or
families of compounds that can potentially
induce adverse health impacts, including but
not limited to cancer, reproductive effects, or
adverse environmental effects.
Holism The view that systems cannot be understood in exclusion of other systems but must be
understood in relation to the larger whole that
affects all parts within itself.
Mortality A statistical measure quantifying the
number or fraction of deaths among populations.
Multipollutant monitoring Monitoring with
attention to the effects of pollution arising
from the interaction of different species of
pollutants.
Natural capital The natural systems that produce goods such as clean air and provide services such as life support to the biosphere.
Ozone layer A lower stratospheric region of
more concentrated ozone, which absorbs
much of the ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Particulate matter Solid or liquid particles
suspended in air. PM is not a term that distinguishes particles by chemical species, and individual PM particles can contain a variety of
species. Particulate Matter is often written as
PM 10 or PM 2.5 with the number in subscript
denoting the maximum aerodynamic diameter
in micrometers of the particles being described.
The subscripts (e.g., “2.5”) indicate that the PM
considered is less than the subscript’s value in
micrometers (mm). Particles smaller than about
10 mm are generally considered inhalable with
smaller particles reaching deeper into the lung.
Pedestrian-oriented development Construction
or reconstruction of the urban form designed to
facilitate walking as a primary means of personal transportation.
Point sources Localized emitters of large
amounts of pollution.
Population exposure A statistic accounting for a
population’s distribution throughout the area it
inhabits, the pollution concentration distribution over that area, and the changes in those
distributions over time to represent the macrolevel (population-level) exposure of the population to a pollutant or set of pollutants.
Primary pollutants Pollutants released from a
source directly into the environment in the
given form.
Primary standards US EPA Air pollution standards set to protect public health.
Radiative balance The net radiation to or from
an object or system accounting for total incoming and outgoing radiation. A positive radiative
balance will lead to the warming of the system
considered, while a negative radiative balance
will lead to cooling, assuming no non-radiative
energy flows are at work.
Resilience The ability of a system to renew and
reorganize itself after a shock or major socioecological shift.
Risk-based policy Policy based on the quantification and understanding of the probabilities of
386
Air Pollution Monitoring and Sustainability