WIN24 Course: ENV H 448 / 548 Community Air Pollution

ENV H 448 / 548 Community Air Pollution

This 3-credit course uses a lecture/seminar format, and makes use of local air pollution management resources, to provide a comprehensive overview of community air pollution. Topics covered include: 1) air pollution sources, chemistry and meteorology; 2) effects on human health and the environment; 3) climate change; 4) air quality standards, monitoring and management; 5) air pollution control technology; 6) indoor air; 7) special topics, including wildfire smoke, environmental justice and alternative fuels.

Instruction is at the level of upper-year undergraduates and graduate students in health-related or related technical fields; there are higher expectations and more requirements of graduate students including an introduction to using the R programming language for summarizing air quality data. While a relatively comprehensive survey of air pollution topics is provided, there is a clear public health orientation. 

Learning objectives

At the end of this course the student should be able to:

1. Classify and identify major sources of outdoor air pollution.
2. Outline the features of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
3. Describe how meteorology affects air pollution using qualitative and quantitative approaches. 
4. Describe the atmospheric chemistry involved in the formation of secondary air pollutants.
5. Identify primary health effects associated with criteria air pollutants.
6. Compare identified health effects of the different air pollutants.
7. Contrast the scientific methods and study designs used to learn about the health effects of air pollution.
8. Differentiate the welfare effects of air pollution from human health effects.
9. Propose effective strategies for controlling air pollution emissions and for reducing community exposures.
10. Distinguish criteria air pollutants from hazardous air pollutants and compare their respective air quality management approaches.
11. Describe how air quality contributes to environmental injustice and social inequality.
12. Identify the pollutants, including greenhouse gases, that affect climate and describe how they contribute to climate change.
13. Describe the major activities of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA).
14. Describe community-based air monitoring and contrast this approach to regulatory monitoring.
15. Explain sources of indoor air pollution and describe the health effects of each.
16. GRADUATE STUDENTS: Evaluate and synthesize quantitative impacts of air pollution.