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Air pollution is the combination of fine particles and gases in the atmosphere that harm humans and animals. Our objective is to find the various air pollution contaminants and its repercussion on Homo sapiens’ health. We discuss how air quality is measured with the air quality index and measures that help us cope with the consequences of air pollution. To carry out this study, we carried out a systematic literature review to uncover the different dimensions of air pollution and mitigation strategies. From the existing literature and observations of the different data sets, we can conclude that air pollutants have a severe impact on the life of Homo sapiens, causing various diseases such as respiratory issues, skin diseases, etc. Today, we have ample laws, but the need of the hour is to initiate new policies to change the behavioural of Homo sapiens. Our findings will help in decision-making by stakeholders such as policy-makers, manufacturing industries, households, etc. This article will also help in highlighting the need for Homo sapiens behavioural change.

Purpose – Emissions trading is often heralded as an efficient approach to environmental regulation. In the mid-90s Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), a Los Angeles-based advocacy organization, raised concerns that emissions trading in the South Coast Air Basin, the most polluted region in Southern California, would result in environmental injustice. The organizations concerns received mixed responses from regulators. Historical analysis is used to assess the clash between emissions trading and environmental justice (EJ).

Methodology/approach – Emissions trading and EJ arose side by side between the 1960s and the 1990s, yet they disagree on how to clean the air. Historical analysis of legal documents, presidential addresses, letters, working papers, reports, and the like offers a better understanding of the development of emissions trading and EJ, and their intersection in environmental policy.

Findings – Emissions trading was grafted onto Clean Air Act policies not inherently designed for their incorporation. As a result, emissions trading came into direct philosophical opposition with EJ as political pressures calling for both economically efficient antiregulatory-ism and environmental equity forced their intersection. Formally, regional and national government accepted EJ as part of law. However, in principle, emissions trading undermined this acceptance. As a result, CBE could not easily win or explicitly lose its battle against emissions trading.

Originality/value of paper – Previous work on the relationship between emissions trading and EJ tend to focus on legal analysis and normative implications of emissions trading. Putting emissions trading and environment justice into historical perspective helps to illuminate larger questions about EJ activism and policy. Also, as California, the United States, and Europe turn to emissions trading to combat not only air pollution but also climate change, important lessons can be learned from the histories and collision of emissions trading and EJ.

It is recognised that environmental air pollution is one of the global problems and is a common problem for both developing as well as developed countries. In the era of globalisation, it is the most important global environmental issue. In general, urban air quality is becoming vulnerable especially in the developing countries due to adopting various developmental schemes. Air pollution problem in Kolkata, capital city of West Bengal, is under serious for a long day. As per guidelines of World Health Organization, for residential areas, air pollution level in Kolkata is considerably higher than the standard enumerated. There are several types of air pollutants which are continuously exposing the air of Kolkata. West Bengal pollution control board (WBPCB) has been monitoring ambient air quality (AAQ) for the parameters viz. suspected particulate matters (SPM), respiratory particulate matters (RPM), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and lead (Pb) in Kolkata throughout the years. Present study has been designed to determine the vertical floor-wise air quality status of the city of Kolkata and the seasonal variation of the pollutants over the consecutive years from 2011 to 2017. It is demonstrated that the air pollution is the highest in the winter due to dry weather, second is festive season followed by winter due to heavy movement of vehicles and pedestrians for festival shoppings as well as pandel hoppings and then next is summer. But coming to the point of rainy season, this is the lowest due to wetted air or wind of monsoon. This chapter attempts to understand the long-run trend of air pollution as the periodical average value suggests.

Purpose – The vulnerability and adaptive capacities of cities in Latin America have received relatively less attention compared to other regions of the world. This chapter seeks to address these gaps by (a) examining vulnerability to the health impacts from air pollution and temperature, and exploring whether socioeconomic factors between neighborhoods differentiate these risks within the cities of Bogota, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and Santiago and (b) assessing the capacity of urban populations to perceive and respond to vulnerability and risk.

Design/methodology/approach – Because of the complex nature of vulnerability, we combined a set of quantitative and quantitative methods and data to determine whether and under what conditions the people in these cities are vulnerable (e.g., Time Series Analysis, Generalized Linear Model, and statistical correlations of exposure and human mortality with socioeconomic vulnerability).

Findings – We found high levels of PM10, ozone, and other criteria air pollutants in three cities for which we had data. However, the pattern of their impacts on health depends on the particulars of pollutant levels and atmospheric and weather conditions of each city. Our results reflect the varied facets of urban vulnerability and shed light on the nature of the associated human health risks. Although wealthy populations have access to education, good quality housing, and health services to mitigate some environmental risks, overall the data show that health impacts from air pollution and temperature in the study cities do not necessarily depend on socioeconomic differentiations.

Research limitations/implications – Although we sought to use quantitative and qualitative methods, given the complexity of the research, it has proven difficult to fully explore these issues across scales and with a full accounting of local context.

Practical implications – Our findings show that wealthy and educated populations may be equally at risk to the health implications of air pollution. Policies designed to mitigate these risks should not use socioeconomic characteristics as predictors of a population's risk in relation to air pollution.

Originality/value – This research contributes valuable insights into the dynamics of vulnerability to air pollution in Latin American cities, a region that has been historically underrepresented in empirical studies of urban risk. We have also combined a range of methods and approaches to improve our understanding of the multifaceted nature of urban vulnerability to global environmental change.

Air pollution affects labour productivity and these effects arise in both indoor and outdoor environments and at varying levels of worker skill. They also arise at levels of air pollution generally considered to be within existing air quality standards and guidelines. Although the damage per individual is small when compared to more extreme events, such as mortality and hospitalisations, the effects are more widespread and may thus represent a significant cost to society. Labour is an essential element in every nation’s economy serving as one of the primary factors of production and India not an exception. Investing in human capital is viewed as a key source of sustained increase in labour productivity and economic growth. On the other hand, environmental regulations are typically considered to be a struggle on the economy. However, improved environmental quality may actually enhance productivity by creating a healthier workforce. At the same time, air pollution may affect labour productivity and can reduce the productivity of workers in physically demanding occupations. This chapter may be an attempt to provide comprehensive estimates of the major air pollutants in different states of India and also tries to identify the linkage between air pollution and labour productivity in case of Indian manufacturing sector.

This study aims to explore twin objectives. Initially, the study scrutinises the consequences of various pollution control acts and protocols signed by India to improve the air quality and then the study involves itself to investigate the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdown on the air quality of highly populated Mumbai city of India. The empirical analysis is facilitated by the application of Poirier’s Spline function approach on the secondary data compiled from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The corresponding structural shifting points are identified through the CUSUM of squares (CUSUMQ) test. The empirical results disclose that Kyoto Protocol and lockdown have positively influenced the air quality. This study ends with suitable policy prescriptions.