Newcastle University

Air Pollution

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This course introduces the fundamentals of air pollution, with a consideration of the background and historical perspective, and a commentary on current air quality policies and standards. The course also considers the health impacts of air pollution.

The course discusses the major approaches for air pollution modelling, and demonstrates the features and use of the most widely used commercial and freely available air quality models. Introductions to the various air pollution modelling approaches are followed by hands-on sessions covering the use of most widely used commercial air quality models, including ADMS, Airviro and a host of USEPA models.

The methods and techniques of handling and disseminating the outputs of air pollution models will be demonstrated in practice sessions.

Course content

• History of air pollution
• Current policies, standards and objectives
• Sources of air pollution
• Effects of major air pollutants
• Modelling and control of emission from road transport
• Modelling and control of emission from industrial sources
• Chemistry and dispersion of air pollution in atmosphere
• Air pollution modelling approaches
• Commercial air quality models (ADMS, Airviro, USEPA models)
• Indoor air pollution
• Personal exposure to air pollution
• Modelling health effects of air pollution

Provisional programme:

• Day 1
  • History of air pollution
  • Sources of air pollution
• Day 2
  • Primary air pollutants
  • Secondary air pollutants (photo-chemistry and smog formation)
  • Effects of major air pollutants
  • Control of emission from industrial sources
  • Modelling and control of emission from road transport
• Day 3
  • Indoor air pollution
  • Dispersion of air pollution in atmosphere
  • Dispersion modelling using SCREEN modelling
  • Emission modelling workshop
  • Seminar by a guest speaker on Climate change mitigation and adaptation: various links with transport
• Day 4
  • Air quality policy and standards
  • Air pollution modelling approaches
  • Commercial air quality models
  • Demo of Airviro
  • ADMS workshop
• Day 5
  • Personal exposure
  • Modelling health effects of air pollution
  • Analysis and display of air quality models output

Course objectives

Upon completion of the course, delegates will have:

• A better understanding of major air pollutants, and their sources and their effects (environmental, economic and health);
• Knowledge of how emissions are estimated from road traffic and industrial sources;
• Insight into the dispersion of air pollution in the atmosphere;
• Knowledge and first-hand experience of using some of the most widely used commercial and freely available air quality models;
• Knowledge of analysing and presenting outputs of air quality models to diverse audiences.

Delegates will be able to:

• Estimate emissions from industrial and road transport sources;
• Estimate air pollution concentrations as a function of emission, meteorology, topography and the built environment for a combination of road and industrial sources;
• Estimate the health impacts of changes in air pollution;
• Evaluate various transport policy options in terms of their impacts on emission, air quality and health;
• Disseminate emission and air quality results to a wider audience.

Learning outcomes will be achieved by introducing knowledge and theory in lectures and by exercising the relevant skills in practical workshops. Workshops will simultaneously review the taught content of the lectures and develop the key intellectual, practical or communicational skills.

Presenters

School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

• Dr Anil Namdeo (Course Leader)
• Prof Margaret Bell
• Prof Tom Curtis
• Dr David Werner

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