Global Air Quality and Pollution

Hajime Akimoto

Science, 302(5651), 1716-1719, 2003.


The impact of global air pollution on climate and the environment is a new focus in atmospheric science. Intercontinental transport amd hemispheric air pollution by ozone jeopardize agricultural and natural ecosystems worldwide and have a strong effect on climate. Aerosols, which are spread globally but have a strong regional imbalance, change global climate through their direct and indirect effects on radiative forcing. In the 1990s, nitrogen oxide emissions from Asia surpassed those from North America and Europe and should continue to exceed them foor decades. International iniitiatives to mitigate global air pollution require participation from both developed and developing countries.