Global and Regional Perspectives on Particulate Matter and Air Quality: Environmental and Health Impacts, Challenges, Policies, and Solutions
A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 1144
Special Issue Editors
Interests: air quality; coarse particulate matter; fine particulate matter; environmental impact; health effects; modeling; predictive scenarios
Interests: air pollution; health impact; environmental health; environmental toxicology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: atmospheric pollution; environmental health; health impact; economic valuation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Particulate matter (PM) air pollution is one of the most critical environmental challenges of our time, significantly impacting human health, ecosystems, and the global economy. The Global Burden of Disease study group confirms that particulate matter is the leading contributor to the global disease burden, while the World Bank estimates the global health costs associated with PM exposure at USD 8.1 trillion. These findings highlight its profound socio-economic and public health implications while underscoring the urgent need to address PM pollution as a pivotal aspect of improving air quality worldwide.
The complex interplay between natural and anthropogenic sources—such as fossil fuel combustion, vehicular emissions, industrial and construction activities, agricultural and forest fires, sandstorms, volcanic eruptions, and others—complicates the challenge of achieving cleaner air. Additionally, variations in PM concentrations and composition across geographic regions, driven by local emission profiles and meteorological conditions, demand tailored mitigation strategies informed by scientific evidence. These challenges are especially urgent in low- and middle-income countries, where populations experience disproportionate exposure and adverse health impacts due to weaker regulatory frameworks.
This multifaceted global problem intersects with the priorities of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, climate action, and sustainable urbanization, and its significance is further heightened by future scenarios that predict escalating risks under business-as-usual trajectories. These projections highlight the urgency of integrated approaches that combine predictive modeling, policy interventions, and public engagement.
In this context, this Special Issue seeks to advance the understanding of PM air pollution by bringing together research on global and regional studies that investigate its sources, health impacts, environmental implications, economic evaluations, future scenarios, and potential solutions. Contributions in various formats, such as original research, reviews, brief reports, case studies, and commentaries, are invited to provide a diverse perspective on this global environmental challenge.
Dr. Ronan Adler Tavella
Prof. Dr. Flavio Rodrigues
Dr. Simone Georges El Khouri Miraglia
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
- coarse particulate matter (PM10)
- air pollution
- air quality
- health impacts
- environmental impacts
- mitigation strategies
- predictive modeling
- low- and middle-income countries
- policy interventions
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