Please note that this session was withdrawn and is no longer available in the respective programme. This withdrawal might have been the result of a merge with another session.
ITS3.22/AS3.46 | Air Pollution Forensics
EDI
Air Pollution Forensics
Convener: George K Varghese | Co-conveners: Abinaya SekarECSECS, Eliani Ezani, Muhammad Ibrahim
Air pollution is responsible for close to 7 million premature deaths annually, majority of it in the Global South countries. Knowing the source of pollution and making the polluters accountable for their polluting activities is essential to control the menace of air pollution. Air pollution transcends boundaries, making it crucial to understand the interconnectedness between different regions. Developing economies in the Global South primarily contribute to pollution through rapid industrialization and urbanization. In contrast, the Global North, characterized by stringent environmental regulations, faces challenges in managing the transportation of pollutants. Internationally, legally binding agreements aimed at addressing air pollution is weakened by the difficulty in comprehending the intricate dynamics of pollutant transport. At regional and local levels, the complexity in assigning responsibility for pollution, especially in cases involving multiple polluters or unidentified sources, underscores the need for air pollution forensics.
Forensics refers to the use of science and technology to the matters of civil and criminal law. Air pollution forensics is the use of scientific tools and procedures for fixing liability in air pollution incidents. The tools and procedures used should stand the stringent scrutiny of the court, and hence, it is important for the practitioners of air pollution forensics to know the legal procedures and requirements in this regard.
In this session, we invite contributions pertaining to scientific methods and procedures adoptable/ adaptable in air pollution forensics. The contributions can focus on any of the following areas
• Adaption of existing techniques for pollution source identification to forensic practice
• Guidelines/protocols/procedures/modelling techniques for carrying out forensic investigations in air pollution cases
• Air pollution forensic case studies
• Local, regional and trans-boundary transport and transformation of air pollutants from the forensic perspective
• Any other topic directly relatable to air pollution forensics (e.g. Emission Inventories, design of monitoring network, development of sensors for forensic applications)
Air pollution forensics is an emerging area and this session is expected to bring together researchers and practitioners of the area to share their knowledge, best practices and to discuss about the strategies to tackle the challenges they face.