Module manager: Steve Arnold
Email: S.Arnold@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
| SOEE2481 | Atmospheric Pollution from Local to Global Scales |
SOEE3430 Air Quality: Science and Policy
This module is not approved as a discovery module
Millions of people die prematurely worldwide due to exposure to harmful air pollution, and there is an urgent need to tackle this globally important environmental challenge. 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. Additional guest content and podcast recordings will also provide broader perspectives on policy, monitoring, historic changes, international perspectives, and control strategies. 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.
The module aims to give students an understanding of air pollutant sources, processing, and impacts across a range of scales and environments, interactions with climate and health, and how modelling can be used to test pollution responses to different processes and controls.
The objectives are to provide students with knowledge and skills needed to understand:
- Key sources and processes of major tropospheric air pollutants.
- Interactions between climate change and air pollution, and impacts on health.
- Stratospheric impacts of air pollutants, in context of historical changes and future climate.
- Air pollution monitoring methods, both from networks and satellites.
- Application of modelling to understand responses of air pollution to different emissions and environmental conditions
- Recent changes in air pollution across different world regions
- Future challenges associated with energy policies in the context of air quality impacts.
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 studied 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 meteorological changes
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the ability to gather information and perspectives from a range of sources; analyse, and interpret to aid understanding, inform decisions/opinions, and anticipate problems. Use reasoning and judgement to identify needs, make decisions, solve problems, and respond with actions.
2. Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology and techniques to create accessible digital items (such as images, documents and mind maps), and the willingness to engage with new practices and perspectives to solve problems, make decisions and answer questions.
3. Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in written form to articulate an argument, supported by relevant evidence and adhering to academic convention.
4. Demonstrate ability to select and use information technology appropriately to enhance efficiency, identifying suitable technologies for tasks. Willingness to access, learn and adapt to new technologies, including assistive technologies where necessary. Abilities range from basic IT skills (spreadsheets, presentations) to programming and coding.
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.
- UK air pollution episodes
- 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, measurements of air pollution, satellite monitoring of air pollution
- Historic trends
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workshop | 4 | 1 | 4 |
| Workshop | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| e-Lecture | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| Archival Sessions | 6 | 0.5 | 3 |
| Private study hours | 70 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 30 | ||
| 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
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 02/10/2025
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team