Atmospheric Pollution and Microenvironmental Air Quality

Dear Colleagues,

Atmospheric pollution remains one of the most pressing global challenges, directly threatening human health and accelerating climate change. Pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), ozone (O₃), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are linked to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disorders, and premature mortality. Simultaneously, these pollutants contribute to global warming through radiative forcing and atmospheric chemistry interactions. While outdoor air pollution has traditionally dominated research agendas, mounting evidence highlights the critical role of microenvironmental air quality—that is, of spaces where individuals spend over 90% of their time, including indoor settings (e.g., homes, offices, schools) and outdoor micro-scale urban spaces (e.g., street canyons, transportation hubs, parks).

Urban areas, home to more than half of the global population, face compounded risks due to dense populations, overlapping pollution sources (e.g., traffic, industrial emissions, indoor combustion), and prolonged exposure in confined microenvironments. These localized spaces exhibit unique pollution dynamics shaped by factors such as ventilation efficiency, human activity patterns, and microclimate conditions. Understanding both outdoor atmospheric pollution and microenvironmental air quality is essential for designing equitable mitigation strategies, reducing health disparities, and advancing climate-resilient urban development.

This Special Issue emphasizes the equal importance of studying outdoor and microenvironmental pollution systems. By bridging scales—from city-wide emissions to hyper-localized exposures—we aim to foster interdisciplinary solutions that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Scope of Contributions

We invite original research, reviews, and case studies addressing the following themes, with a focus on integrating outdoor and microenvironmental perspectives:

1. Outdoor Atmospheric Pollution
   • Formation mechanisms and source apportionment of pollutants (e.g., PM_2.5, O₃, NO_x) in urban and regional contexts;
   • Interactions between air pollution and climate change (e.g., feedback loops involving black carbon, methane, and urban heat islands);
   • Impacts of extreme weather events (e.g., heatwaves, stagnant air) on pollution dispersion and public health.
2. Microenvironmental Air Quality
   • Pollution characterization in indoor spaces (residential, commercial, industrial) and outdoor micro-environments (street canyons, bus stops, urban parks);
   • Role of human activities (e.g., cooking, commuting, energy use) and building design (e.g., ventilation, green walls) in exposure risks;
   • Socioeconomic disparities in microenvironmental pollution burdens.
3. Health and Climate Co-Benefits
   • Quantitative exposure–risk models linking pollution levels (indoor/outdoor) to health outcomes;
   • Strategies with dual health and climate benefits (e.g., electrification of transport, clean cooking technologies).
4. Innovative Monitoring and Modeling
   • Low-cost sensor networks for real-time, high-resolution air quality mapping;
   • Machine learning, Computational Fluid Dynamics modeling, or satellite remote sensing to predict pollution hotspots.
5. Policy and Sustainable Solutions
   • Urban planning interventions (e.g., green infrastructure, low-emission zones) to reduce emissions and exposure;
   • Behavioral and technological innovations for pollution mitigation in microenvironments;
   • Case studies of cities successfully integrating outdoor and microenvironmental data into climate action plans.

Dr. Hui Chen
Dr. Lan Yao
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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.

• atmospheric pollution
• microenvironmental air quality
• health exposure assessment
• climate change interactions
• urban sustainability
• indoor and outdoor pollution
• pollution mitigation strategies
• sustainable urban design