Module manager: Steve Arnold
Email: S.Arnold@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
| SOEE2481 | Atmospheric Pollution from Local to Global Scales |
SOEE3430 Air Quality: Science and Policy
This module is not approved as a discovery module
By the end of this module students will have an understanding of the sources and processing of air pollution in the troposphere and stratosphere, its impacts on human health and ecosystems, and its interactions with the climate system. This will include a knowledge of the sources and sinks of air pollutants on a range of scales (such as UK national air quality strategy pollutants, greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting gases, transboundary pollutants, hazardous air pollutants); impact upon human and environmental health; measurement and monitoring; improvement technologies, emissions control strategies and the economic implications of these. Guest content from external speakers will also provide broader perspectives on policy, monitoring, historic changes, international perspectives, and control strategies, via podcasts. On completion of the module students should be able to understand and use a simple computer box model to predict response of air pollution to different emission changes and control strategies, perform analysis of computer model output and present scientific results suitable for use by politicians or consultants.
This module is designed to extend the understanding students have gained at Level 1 and 2 in atmospheric chemistry and air pollution to research-level, state-of-the-art understanding of the interactions between air pollution and climate change, impacts on human health & ecosystems, and strategies for air pollution control. The module is designed around research-led lecture material and hands-on computer modelling classes. The module builds on topics studies at Level 2 in SOEE2481. The module is intended to prepare students for careers in air quality consultancy, pollution legislation or further research in atmospheric chemistry and climate related topics, as well as other general environmental careers.
Students will gain an understanding of:
- sources and processing of air pollution in the troposphere and stratosphere.
- air pollution impacts on human health and ecosystems, and its interactions with the climate system.
- the sources and sinks of air pollutants on a range of scales (such as UK national air quality strategy pollutants, greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting gases, transboundary pollutants, hazardous air pollutants)
- methods and strategies for monitoring air pollution, improvement technologies, emissions control strategies and the economic implications of these.
- the use a simple computer box model to predict response of air pollution to different emission changes and climatic changes
- computer modelling skills
- critical analysis of diverse information sources
- numerical interpretation and presentation of air pollution data
- experimental design
- Air pollution legislation, international protocols.
- Global scale air pollution and stratospheric ozone depletion
- Secondary PM formation
- Regional scale photochemical ozone pollution.
- Particulate matter, PM10 and PM2.5.
- Health effects, ecosystem effects of air pollution
- International perspectives on air quality mitigation strategy
- Toxic air pollutants – mercury and POPs.
- Climate-air quality feedbacks
- Monitoring networks, Historic trends
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 6 | 1 | 6 |
| Workshop | 15 | 0.5 | 5 |
| e-Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Archival Sessions | 6 | 0.5 | 2 |
| Private study hours | 76 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 24 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
76 hours to include: 2 hours further study per lecture (including reading and watching external video content), 1 hour further study around each screencast and podcast topic, 3 hours preparation/analysis per computer workshop (including writing worksheet answers for assessment), 18 hours exam preparation.
Students have the opportunity to gain verbal feedback on their ideas, experiment design and results during the computer classes with staff and demonstrators before submission of their worksheets. Regular quizzes will allow students to monitor their understanding and progress through the module.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Exercise | 1 computer modelling exercise with written up answers/ graphs | 35 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 35 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Open Book exam | 48.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 65 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 65 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 7/2/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team