Colloquium: 2 Sept 2008, EN6085A, 3:00 pm

Abstract:

Dr Robert Field, formerly of the European Reference Laboratory of Air Pollution and the United Kingdom National Environmental Technology Center will give a presentation that summarizes his approach to creating effective air quality monitoring strategies for research, legislative compliance and human health impacts assessments. Air quality has been recognized as a problem since the dawn of civilized society. As evident from the air quality levels at the Olympic games held in Beijing China, urban air quality problems persist. Air quality is closely related to economic development both in terms of emissions and mitigation. On one hand air quality is accepted as a necessary externality of economic growth. However the costs associated with human health impacts are now known to be high. In order to understand the relationship between human exposure and health impacts it is necessary to design monitoring programs that yield data of sufficient quality. Dr Field will present some research related to understanding pollution measurement and pollutant behavior with focus on two case studies that demonstrate the importance of monitoring design. This research has served both scientific and policy avenues. Finally the approach and the challenges associated with a monitoring project assessing ozone air quality issues in Pinedale, funded through the Wyoming DEQ and School of Energy, will be outlined.