Summary

Air pollution is recognized as one of the leading contributors to the global environmental burden of disease, even in countries with relatively low concentrations of air pollution. Air Pollution: Health and Environmental Impacts examines the effect of this complex problem on human health and the environment in different settings around the world. It not only covers general modeling, monitoring, and characterization techniques but also includes field studies and cases that offer valuable insight into region-specific issues.

With contributions from a distinguished group of international experts, the book explores ways of controlling air pollution and mitigating its adverse effects on human health and the environment. Often taking a regional and global perspective, it discusses the monitoring and source characterization of air pollution, the theory and application of air quality modeling, health effects and risk assessment, and the environmental impacts of air pollution. The book also addresses air quality management and relevant policy issues.

Along with providing an understanding of the scientific basis of air pollution, this volume helps readers better appreciate social and environmental determinants of public health and apply country-based research evidence to reduce health disparities and environmental inequalities. It also encourages future research and policy action on the health and environmental consequences of air pollution from the local to global level.

Choice Review

Air pollution has manifold impacts on health, environment, and policy. Literally dozens of works have been written over the past decades that provide detailed descriptions and usually engineering-oriented analyses of pollutant emissions, source characterization, pollution control systems, atmospheric dispersion, air quality monitoring, management, health effects, and other topics that have become standard in this field. This book is different. Though it provides short descriptive analyses of most of the fundamental topics, its value lies more in demonstrating these topics in case studies, which are drawn from the US, India, and elsewhere. Additionally, the work introduces many new and often advanced methods and materials that explore, for example, topics in risk, economics, policy, and sustainability. Even experts in the field may be captivated by some of these new ideas. Further, although the basis of much of the material is highly quantitative, it does not present equations or mathematics; thus, it is not a how-to primer. The volume's 17 chapters have contributions from nearly 50 contributors, but the material is well organized with minimal overlap. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers/faculty, and professionals. S. A. Batterman University of Michigan