Air pollution monitoring and modeling

Exposure to air pollution is associated with numerous adverse health effects including premature mortality and a wide spectrum of global diseases. The transportation sector’s activity causes air pollutant emissions and elevates air pollution levels, particularly in urban areas, where most people congregate. Considering the interdisciplinary nature of studies on exposure to traffic-related air pollution in urban areas, experts of different professions need a certain level of familiarity with traffic-related air pollution, and the methods and tools available for its monitoring and modeling. This chapter describes air pollution monitoring and modeling methods, specifically in the context of traffic-related air pollution, and overviews common metrics to compare modeled and monitored values and assess models’ validity. The chapter provides a high-level overview of traffic-related air pollution in three subsections: monitoring, modeling, and model to monitor comparisons.