Sector Outline
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2016) offer a definition of air quality:
‘Typically, air quality is defined as the degree to which to air in a particular region is free from pollution. Good air quality tends to have pollution levels below those which are considered to be detrimental to human and ecological life. Clean air is necessary to support the delicate balance of life on Earth; this includes the world’s oceans, forests, soils and all forms of existence. Poor air quality can occur through both natural and anthropogenic causes; this can include volcanic eruptions and thawing of permafrost, or industrialization and urbanization.’
Conserve Energy Future (2009) highlights key causes of poor air quality:
The key effects of poor air quality include climate change, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eutrophication, acid rain, ecological damage and depletion of the earth’s ozone layer.
Career and Job Links
UK
IAQM Institute of Air Quality Management
www.iaqm.co.uk
Environmental Protection UK Air Quality Committee
www.environmental-protection.org.uk/policy-areas/air-quality
Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs UK AIR (Air Information Resource)
www.uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution
Europe
European Commission - European Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution
www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/thematic-strategy-on-air-pollution
The World Air Quality Project ‘Air Pollution in Europe: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map’
www.aqicn.org/map/europe
European Environment Agency ‘European Air Quality Index’
www.airindex.eea.europa.eu/Map/AQI/Viewer
World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe ‘Air Quality Data and Statistics’
www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/air-quality/data-and-statistics
Asia
Asia Centre for Air Pollution Research
www.acap.asia/en
Air Quality Asia
www.airqualityasia.org
The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)
www.eanet.asia
Africa
National Association for Clean Air (NACA)
www.naca.org.za
South African Air Quality Information System
www.saaqis.environment.gov.za
Yat Ho Yiu Earth.org (2019) ‘Air Pollution Is Starting to Choke Africa’
www.earth.org/air-pollution-is-starting-to-choke-africa
North America
AirNow
www.airnow.gov/about-airnow
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Our Nation’s Air
www.gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2019/#home
UNEP (2015) ‘Air Quality Policies in United States of America’
www.unenvironment.org/resources/policy-and-strategy/air-quality-policies-united-states-america
Government of Canada – Air Quality
www.weather.gc.ca/mainmenu/airquality_menu_e.html
South America
UNEP (2019) ‘Latin American and Caribbean communities mobilize to beat air pollution’
www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/latin-american-and-caribbean-communities-mobilize-beat-air-pollution
LEDS LAC ‘Air quality, climate change and development in Latin America: opportunities for reducing short-lived climate pollutants’
www.ledslac.org/en/2016/06/air-quality-climate-change-and-development-in-latin-america-opportunities-for-reducing-short-lived-climate-pollutants
World Health Organisation (WHO) (1963) ‘Atmospheric pollution in Latin America: inter-regional symposium on criteria for air quality and methods of measurement, Geneva, 6-12 August 1963’
www.apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/326437
(A historical perspective)
Oceania
Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ)
www.casanz.org.au
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology ‘Smoke and air quality information’
www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/air-pollution.shtml
Environmental Justice Australia ‘Reducing the health and environmental burden of coal-fired power’
www.envirojustice.org.au/our-work/community/air-pollution
Ministry for the Environment ‘Monitoring air quality’
www.mfe.govt.nz/air/state-of-our-air/monitoring-air-quality
Global
Our World in Data (2019) Air Pollution
www.ourworldindata.org/air-pollution
World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘Air Pollution’
www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution
Christina Nunez, National Geographic (2019) ‘Air pollution, explained’
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (2016) offer a definition of air quality:
‘Typically, air quality is defined as the degree to which to air in a particular region is free from pollution. Good air quality tends to have pollution levels below those which are considered to be detrimental to human and ecological life. Clean air is necessary to support the delicate balance of life on Earth; this includes the world’s oceans, forests, soils and all forms of existence. Poor air quality can occur through both natural and anthropogenic causes; this can include volcanic eruptions and thawing of permafrost, or industrialization and urbanization.’
Conserve Energy Future (2009) highlights key causes of poor air quality:
- ‘Burning of Fossil Fuels: The combustion of finite resources such as petroleum and coal is a primary cause of air pollution and poor air quality. Much of the developed world depends on burning fossil fuels for their basic needs in terms of transportation and in order to develop economically. This process however releases harmful greenhouse gases such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide (from incomplete combustion)
- Agricultural activities: One of the most perilous gases in the atmosphere is ammonia, which also happens to be a very common product of agriculture activities
- Factories and Industries: Industries and factories rely heavily on the burning of non-renewable resources which are responsible for the release of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, both of which deplete the quality of air
- Mining: This is a process whereby minerals are extracted from deep within the earth, often with the use of large equipment which in itself can be responsible for the destruction of large areas of natural ecosystems. In addition to this however, during the process of extracting these minerals, chemical and dust are released also contribution to pollution. This has also been blamed for negative health effects of those working in this sector, in the form of respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases
- Indoor air pollution: This can be in the form of residual pollutants such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead from building materials, household cleaning products, particularly from paint, mold and tobacco smoke’
The key effects of poor air quality include climate change, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, eutrophication, acid rain, ecological damage and depletion of the earth’s ozone layer.
Career and Job Links
UK
IAQM Institute of Air Quality Management
www.iaqm.co.uk
Environmental Protection UK Air Quality Committee
www.environmental-protection.org.uk/policy-areas/air-quality
Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs UK AIR (Air Information Resource)
www.uk-air.defra.gov.uk/air-pollution
Europe
European Commission - European Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution
www.eea.europa.eu/policy-documents/thematic-strategy-on-air-pollution
The World Air Quality Project ‘Air Pollution in Europe: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map’
www.aqicn.org/map/europe
European Environment Agency ‘European Air Quality Index’
www.airindex.eea.europa.eu/Map/AQI/Viewer
World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe ‘Air Quality Data and Statistics’
www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/air-quality/data-and-statistics
Asia
Asia Centre for Air Pollution Research
www.acap.asia/en
Air Quality Asia
www.airqualityasia.org
The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)
www.eanet.asia
Africa
National Association for Clean Air (NACA)
www.naca.org.za
South African Air Quality Information System
www.saaqis.environment.gov.za
Yat Ho Yiu Earth.org (2019) ‘Air Pollution Is Starting to Choke Africa’
www.earth.org/air-pollution-is-starting-to-choke-africa
North America
AirNow
www.airnow.gov/about-airnow
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Our Nation’s Air
www.gispub.epa.gov/air/trendsreport/2019/#home
UNEP (2015) ‘Air Quality Policies in United States of America’
www.unenvironment.org/resources/policy-and-strategy/air-quality-policies-united-states-america
Government of Canada – Air Quality
www.weather.gc.ca/mainmenu/airquality_menu_e.html
South America
UNEP (2019) ‘Latin American and Caribbean communities mobilize to beat air pollution’
www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/latin-american-and-caribbean-communities-mobilize-beat-air-pollution
LEDS LAC ‘Air quality, climate change and development in Latin America: opportunities for reducing short-lived climate pollutants’
www.ledslac.org/en/2016/06/air-quality-climate-change-and-development-in-latin-america-opportunities-for-reducing-short-lived-climate-pollutants
World Health Organisation (WHO) (1963) ‘Atmospheric pollution in Latin America: inter-regional symposium on criteria for air quality and methods of measurement, Geneva, 6-12 August 1963’
www.apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/326437
(A historical perspective)
Oceania
Clean Air Society of Australia and New Zealand (CASANZ)
www.casanz.org.au
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology ‘Smoke and air quality information’
www.bom.gov.au/catalogue/warnings/air-pollution.shtml
Environmental Justice Australia ‘Reducing the health and environmental burden of coal-fired power’
www.envirojustice.org.au/our-work/community/air-pollution
Ministry for the Environment ‘Monitoring air quality’
www.mfe.govt.nz/air/state-of-our-air/monitoring-air-quality
Global
Our World in Data (2019) Air Pollution
www.ourworldindata.org/air-pollution
World Health Organisation (WHO) ‘Air Pollution’
www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution
Christina Nunez, National Geographic (2019) ‘Air pollution, explained’
www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution
