Book Description:
Air pollution is a chemical, physical (e.g. particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems. Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory disease. Enforced air quality standards, like the Clean Air Act in the United States, have reduced the presence of some pollutants. While major stationary sources are often identified with air pollution, the greatest source of emissions is actually made up by mobile sources, mainly the automobiles. Gases such as carbon dioxide, which contribute to global warming, have recently gained recognition as pollutants by some scientists. Others recognize the gas as being essential to life, and therefore incapable of being classed as a pollutant. This book presents new and important research dealing directly with air pollution.

Table of Contents:
Preface

Research and Review Articles

Chapter 1 -H2O2-mediated Proinflammatory and Toxic Responses to Ambient Air Particles in Primary Alveolar Type II Cells, pp.1-17;
(Sonia A. Gurgueira, Samuel Sigaud, Mariangela Macchione, Joy Lawrence and Beatriz González-Flecha, Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences, Dept. of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA)

Chapter 2 -SCSA Sperm DNA Fragmentation, pp.19-39;
(Donald Evenson, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry, South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD, Regina Wixon, SCSA Diagnostics, Brookings, SD)

Chapter 3 -Numerical Analysis of Urban Air Pollution Dispersion under Isothermal and Non-Isothermal Conditions using Coupled Simulation of CFD, Radiation and Conduction, pp.41-57;
(Hong Huang, Ryozo Ooka, Shinsuke Kato, Institute of Industrial Science, The Univ. of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan)

Chapter 4 -Spatiotemporal Air Pollution Modelling and Prediction in Epidemiologic Research, pp.59-77;
(Hwa-Lung Yu, George Christakos, Dept. of Geography, San Diego State Univ., San Diego, CA, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Dept. of Epidemiology, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC)

Chapter 5 -Toxicological Mechanisms underlying the Adverse Effects of Ambient Particulate Matter (PM2.5) in the Lung: Contribution of an In-Vitro Approach, pp.79-127;
(Guillaume Garcon, Sylvain Billet, Zeina Dagher, Toxicologie Industrielle et Environnementale, Maison de la Recherche en Environnement Industriel de Dunkerque, Dunkerque, France)

Chapter 6 -Air Pollution, A Threat to Quality of Life, pp.129-140;
(Gabriel Moser, Laboratory of Environmental Psychology CNRS, Paris Descartes Univ., France)

Chapter 7 -Chemical Characterization of Airborne Particles in Greece, pp.141-173;
(Panayotis A. Siskos, Evangelos B. Bakeas, Nikolaos S. Thomaidis, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry Dept., National and Kapodistrian, Univ. of Athens, Athens, Greece)

Chapter 8 -On the Numerical Solution of Some Problems of Environmental Pollution, pp.175-204;
(Quang A. Dang, Institute of Information Technology, Ha noi, Vietnam, Matthias Ehrhardt, Institut f'ur Mathematik, Berlin, Germany, Gia Lich Tran, Institute of Mathematics, Ha noi, Vietnam)

CHapter 9 -New Trends in the Sampling and Analysis of Atmospheric Persistent Organic Pollutants over the Open Ocean, pp.205-220;
(Oliver Wurl, Tropical Marine Science Institute, National Univ. of Singapore, Republic of Singapore, John Robert Potter, Tropical Marine Science Institute, National Univ. of Singapore, Republic of Singapore, Jocara Indian Ocean Quest, Republic of Singapore, Jeffrey Philip Obbard, Tropical Marine Science Institute, National Univ. of Singapore, Republic of Singapore, Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, National Univ. of Singapore, Republic of Singapore)

Chapter 10 -On Ecological Fallacy, Assessment Errors Stemming from Misguided Variable Selection, and the Effect of Aggregation on the Outcome of Epidemiological Study, pp.221-245;
(Boris A. Portnov, Dept. of Natural Resources & Environmental Management, Univ. of Haifa, Israel, Jonathan Dubnov, Haifa District Health Office, Ministry of Health, Israel, School of Public Health, Univ. of Haifa, Israel, Micha Barchana, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Israel, School of Public Health, Univ. of Haifa, Israel)

Index