Air Pollution: Monitoring Assessment and Control - Micro-credential

Overview

This course qualifies for a 80% subsidy under the HCI Fees Subsidy. Please refer to the fees section for details and eligibility criteria.

 Who is this Micro-credential for?  

• This micro-credential will appeal to working professionals in the public or private sector responsible for air quality monitoring and assessment, with responsibilities in air quality reporting, or who have a role in air pollution mitigation and adaptation in either the indoor or outdoor environment.

• Interested learners will be introduced to the field of air pollution science, identifying the current challenges in the field and key background knowledge in the provision of clean air for society and the environment. It explores the use of air pollution modelling to predict concentrations in various settings and to assess the impacts of policy changes, modern technology, or developments.

Why should I take this Micro-credential? 

• Air pollution represents a global health challenge and is directly contributing to climate change. It is present in both outdoor and indoor environments. To address air pollution effectively, we need to fully understand the complex mix of pollutants we must deal with.

• This micro-credential provides a valuable insight into air pollutants, focusing on how we measure and assess the challenge at individual, local, national, and global levels. This course provides you with the skills to effectively monitor campaigns, perform informed assessment studies, and design or select appropriate control technologies and strategies to improve air quality.

• Our Micro-credentials are all CPD approved by Engineers Ireland

When can I start this Micro-credential?  

• There is one intake per year in September

What do I need to be accepted onto this Micro-credential? 

Applicants must have a 2.1 grade in a level 8 degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science or a cognate discipline. 

• CV & Transcript (2:1)

What will I learn?

Learning outcomes will include developing capacity to:

• Describe key concepts relating to air pollution science and its application to environmental engineering.

• Assess, apply, and evaluate differing forms of air pollution models for the prediction of concentrations in the atmosphere.

• Appraise differing approaches to the control of air pollution for indoor and outdoor settings and in urban and industrial settings.

• Discuss the development and application of national emissions inventories and projections.

• Measure air pollution concentrations in practice to identify the advantages and limitations of differing monitoring approaches.

• Critically assess an environmental impact assessment of new infrastructure developments from an air pollution perspective. 

What will I do? 

• This micro-credential deals with the development of environmental impact assessment in relation to air pollution in infrastructure developments, using several case studies (e.g., incineration, construction projects, roads, etc).

• We will examine the development of national emissions inventories and the projection of pollution into the future using forecasting techniques.

• We will appraise the physical measurement of air pollutants using field equipment.

How will this Micro-credential be delivered? 

This micro-credential will be delivered in a blended format (in-person/online).

• All lectures will be delivered during daytime hours, 3 hours per week, in a live (face-to-face) format from a lecture theatre or can be accessed remotely. Sessions will be recorded allowing learners to catch up at their own time.
• Discussion boards will be provided for virtual students to allow for questions related to topic areas covered and coursework.
• Two practical field sessions (live and recorded, simultaneously available face-to-face and virtually) will provide hands-on experience of air quality science to ground fundamentals and context for some coursework and lecture material.

How is this Micro-credential assessed? 

• There are three assessment components:

• Personal exposure monitoring and modelling study (50%)

• Work-based assessment report of air pollution mitigation initiative, considering application of monitoring, modelling, and control (25%)

• Background and regional air quality assessment (25%).