Air Pollution: Monitoring Assessment and Control - Micro-credential

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 have to deal with. As such, this module 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 undertake effectively monitor campaigns, perform informed assessment studies and design or select appropriate control technologies and strategies to improve air quality.

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?

The module commences with an introduction 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. The module explores the use of air pollution modelling to predict concentrations in various settings and to assess the impacts of policy changes, new technology or developments. The module also explores the control of air pollution in outdoor and indoor conditions from an environmental engineering perspective with a particular focus on sustainable approaches. We examine the development of national emissions inventories and the projection of pollution into the future using forecasting techniques. We appraise the physical measurement of air pollutants using field equipment. The module 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).

How will this be delivered?

All lectures will be delivered live from a lecture theatre (face-to-face) format during the first semester, with remote access via Blackboard Collaborate and all sessions will be recorded. As such this blended course will apply flipped classroom components for face-to-face students and groups online, combining traditional lecture formats for student tasks and promoting peer-learning. Discussion boards will be provided for virtual students who have limited interaction with the class in the lecture theatre, to allow for questions related to topic areas covered and coursework.

Two field practicals (live and recorded sessions, 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.

Coursework provides opportunity to demonstrate independent learning through developing new skills (reviewing literature) and using new tools (air quality modelling software). Feedback provides further opportunity to learn.

How will this be 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%).