Sources, Processing, Transport, Health and Climate Impacts of Air Pollutants

Dear Colleagues,

Air pollution is a human health threat and affects our environment and climate. The World Health Organization recently estimates that about 7 million people die prematurely each year due to air pollution. At a micro-scale, human health is linked to indoor exposure and local air quality. At a macro-scale, air pollutants travel around the globe and affect the air quality of all countries. As a result, improving long-term air quality requires international collaboration. Atmospheric pollutions can be generated from a variety of processes, including anthropogenic activities (e.g., transportation and industrial activities) and natural processes (e.g., biomass burning and volcanic activity). The gaseous and particulate pollutants (e.g., black carbon, sulphur dioxide, organic particulate matter, etc.), when transported and mixed with other biogenic emissions in the presence of solar radiation, create excellent recipes for the formation of smog and secondary organic aerosols, which could enhance adverse health effects and cause various pollution issues. Black and brown carbons have different climate implications when transported to climate sensitive areas, such as the Arctic, due to direct and indirect aerosol effects. These topics have always been of great interest to atmospheric scientists; however, there are still many unanswered questions that require continuous research to better understand the emission sources, chemical transformation, physico-chemical characteristics, atmospheric transport, and processing. A fundamental understanding of all of these topics would provide valuable information for policy makers to develop effective regulations and mitigation strategies.

In this Special Issue, we call for manuscripts on various topics of atmospheric pollutants including aerosol and gaseous chemical substances. Suggested areas include, but are not limited to, the following: novel field and laboratory experiments for measuring and/or understanding atmospheric processes, emissions of air pollutants, and mitigation techniques of air pollution. We also welcome manuscripts of studies on health effects and climate impact of air pollutants.

Dr. Satoshi Irei
Dr. Tak W. Chan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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