Air pollution monitoring changes to accompany the transition from a control to a systems focus

Abstract

During the 20th century, air pollution control technologies grew at an amazingly rapid rate. Air quality in much of the industrialized world greatly improved as the efficiencies of these technologies improved. This continued improvement in pollution control has more recently been complemented with measures to prevent the emission of air pollutants. The previous, exclusive focus on treatment requires systems thinking. This review provides a framework for this Special Issue of Sustainability by describing the new tools that are needed to support this new, broader focus, including life cycle assessments, exposure models, and sustainable design.