Time Schedule:
Sverre Vedal
ENV H 490
Seattle Campus
Fundamental concepts of ambient and indoor air pollution, focusing on air quality issues affecting public health. Discusses sources of air pollution, building dynamics, microenvironments and activity patterns, biological air contaminants, community air pollution issues, management strategies, and monitoring and modeling skills. Offered: Sp.
Class description
Topics covered include: 1) air pollution sources, chemistry and meteorology; 2) effects on human health and the environment; 3) global warming; 4) air quality standards, monitoring and management; 5) air pollution control technology; 6) indoor air; 7) special topics, including wood smoke and alternative fuels.
Student learning goals
Classify the various sources of outdoor air pollution and contrast these for the different air pollutants; describe how meteorology affects air pollution.
Compare identified health effects of the different air pollutants and identify the welfare effects of air pollution; classify the types of indoor air pollution and describe the health effects of each.
Outline the components of an air pollution monitoring network.
Distinguish criteria air pollutants from hazardous air pollutants; describe methods and technologies for controlling air pollution emissions and contrast the air quality management approach for criteria pollutants and hazardous air pollutants.
Summarize the components of an air quality management program and the features of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Identify the greenhouse gases and describe how they contribute to global warming; justify air quality management decisions based on health and contrast with those based on greenhouse gas emissions.
General method of instruction
This 3-credit course uses a lecture/seminar format, and makes use of local air pollution management resources and student oral and bulletin board discussions to provide a comprehensive overview of community air pollution. 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. While a relatively comprehensive survey of air pollution topics is provided, there is a clear public health orientation.
Recommended preparation
undergraduate student (Environmental Health student, or permission of instructor); graduate student (SPHCM graduate student, graduate student in related field, or permission of instructor)
Class assignments and grading
Undergraduate. Requirements include: 1) a mid-term examination; 2) a final examination; 3) two referenced web-based bulletin board contributions on an assigned topic; 4) short, frequent on-line quizzes and homework assignments on readings; 5) participation in classroom discussion of assigned topics and readings. Note: Undergraduate students will not be required to lead a class discussion or to write a short paper, as is required of graduate students (see below). Graduate. Requirements include: (1) a mid-term examination; (2) a final examination; (3) two referenced web-based bulletin board contributions on an assigned topic; (4) lead class discussion on one of the following dates and topics (see class schedule): Apr 23 (hazardous air pollutants), Apr 25 (welfare effects), Apr 30 (global warming), May 2 (air pollution standards), May 9 (air quality monitoring), May 14 (air pollution control); (5) one short paper (5 pages, double-spaced, exclusive of references) on an air pollution-related topic (topic approved by instructor and due on the next to last day of class); (6) participation in classroom discussion of assigned topics and readings. Note: Graduate students, in addition to the undergraduate student requirements, will lead one class discussion and write a short paper, but will not be required to take the short quizzes or complete the short homework assignments required of undergraduate students.
Undergraduate grading will be based on: mid-term (20%); final (30%); bulletin board (20%); quizzes/homework (15%); class participation (15%). Graduate grading will be based on: mid-term (15%); final (20%); bulletin board (15%); class discussion lead (15%); paper (20%); class participation (15%)
