Much science, policy, and practice in the air-pollution community revolves around human health. However, if we look to University of Waterloo Environment and Resource Studies Professor Robert Gibson’s principles of sustainable development, we can see that focusing almost exclusively on health leaves many dimensions of sustainable development under serviced.

Our latest paper, published online on Oct. 3, 2012 in the Science of the Total Environment, discusses how new technologies are making air pollution monitoring a more effective tool in assessing the sustainability of development.New technologies are being developed that can help us expand the physical scope of air pollution monitoring. Networks of inexpensive microelectromechnical (MEMs) sensors are allowing for monitoring with very fine spatial resolution, while remote sensing by satellite is allowing monitoring over large, ecosystem-scale areas. Satellites also allow observation of remote areas. These technologies are typically being applied in studies answering conventional, health-related, air pollution questions, but they also provide opportunities to more easily answer other types of questions relating to sustainable development.

The fine spatial resolution of sensor networks could provide more detailed data on the intra-urban distribution of air pollution, which would help to answer questions about the social injustices inherent in the mismatches between emissions and exposure. Often those least responsible for emissions are most exposed, and finer resolution can help demonstrate that with more scientific certainty. Fine resolution can also help improve the results of studies relating air quality to quality of life.

Satellites can be used to monitor large, remote areas, and provide data to help us assess the impact of air pollution on natural capital and ecosystem resilience. These two ecosystem parameters are important to the human economy as well as planetary sustainability, but we have little information on how air pollution affects them.

The ability to address air-pollution aspects of sustainable development will depend on the capacity to collect monitoring data relevant to these problems. The move towards MEMs-based sensor networks and satellite remote observations are expanding and deepening such air pollution monitoring capabilities. It is now up to researchers to use these technological capabilities to track the sustainability of development.
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For further details about the paper please contact Andrew Knox