This broad overview of air pollution biology presents the state of the art, supported by historical accounts of important discoveries in the field. Provides background information and addresses major industrial pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and the fluorides.
When is air polluted?; distribution of pollutants; historical perspectives; plants and damage to plants; lichens - a sturdy barometer; the early days; impacts of SO2 and heavy metals; fluoride - origins and impacts; smog - the discovery of PAN as a photochemical pollutant; ozone as an air pollutant; ozone research and discovery come of age; air pollutant interactions; environmental interactions; forest decline and acid rain; ecosystem responses; natural atmospheric phenomena; the costs of air pollution to agriculture and forests; air quality standards; prospectives.