Environmental Studies 233PB - Air Pollution Biology

Humans are increasing the amount of pollutants in the environment, particularly through the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial practices. This course will investigate the pollutants that cycle through the atmosphere. Key pollutants covered will include nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon compounds, particulate matter, mercury, and ozone. We will investigate where the pollutants come from, their presence in the environment, and the biological effects of these pollutants. This course will be largely lecture based, but group discussions of primary scientific literature and case studies will be core components. Field trip outside class time to Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection air pollution-monitoring site.

Prereq: 100-level Chemistry and 100-level Biological Sciences.