WHAT IS AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT?
Managing the air as a natural resource is about understanding the sources that contribute to the Earth's atmospheric make-up and controlling those sources, to some extent, to improve air quality. The field involves the measurement and monitoring, transport and fate, and laws and regulations related to the air we breath, both indoors and outdoors. Air resource managers are expected to identify and address important air quality issues, while considering both economic and social issues.
Air Resources Management work in remote areas to improve visibility in national parks, in the private sector to create newer and cleaner technologies, in urban areas to track and research the effects of air pollutants on public health, and in high-rise office buildings and individual homes to determine the impact of indoor air environments. The field is growing in importance with more and more revelations regarding the importance of the quality of air we breath and its impact on our society.
WHAT ARE THE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS?
There are relatively few programs that focus solely on Air Resources Management. However, courses in air resources, air quality and air pollution are quite common in both Environmental Engineering and Atmospheric Science curricula. Students should expect lessons in science, economics, environmental health, engineering, ecology, law and policy to address air management issues. Specifically, many courses of study will cover measurement and monitoring of air quality, the transport and fate of air pollutants, and the development of environmental protection policy and programs.
Specific courses we've seen include:
- Air Pollution Dispersion, Transport, and Modeling
- Air Pollution Economics
- Air Pollution Laws and Regulations
- Air Pollution Meteorology
- Air Resources Policy, Institutions and Regulation
- Atmospheric Chemistry
- Atmospheric Dispersion and Air
- Atmospheric Radiation
- Atmospheric Remote Sensing
- Control Technology
- Environmental/Air Pollution Engineering
- Environmental Systems Concepts
- Health Effects of Air Pollution
- Mathematical Modeling
- Monitoring/Measurement
- Pollution Prevention
- Thermodynamics and Cloud Physics
CAREERS AND SALARY OUTLOOK
The demand for air quality professionals is greatly the result of new air quality laws and regulations, like the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Historically, positions have been available in the Bureau of Air Management of many states in the fields of regulation enforcement, data analysis, permitting and monitoring. Duties could include literature research, estimating emissions of air contaminants from different sources, locating emission factors, processing air permits, assisting with data management, assisting with public information and preparation for permit workshops and seminars.
There are also emerging employment possibilities in the private sector as more and more firms are researching the effects of air pollution, considering local and regional geography and conditions, then marketing innovative solutions. Specific job titles we've seen include:
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Great Resources
on Air Quality Management
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- Air Pollution Control Engineer
- Air Quality Engineer
- Code Enforcement Officer
- Duct Maintenance Supervisor
- Environmental Planner
- Environmental Specialist
- Facilities Inspector
- Permit Issuance Manager
- Regulatory Compliance Coordinator
- Senior Technician
- Transportation and Air Quality Planner
Median annual earnings for atmospheric scientists were $60,200 in 2002. Check out full report from BLS here
RELATED AREAS OF STUDY
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