Preface and Course Introduction

Worldwide, there is an ever increasing interest and concern about the destructive effects of air pollution on man’s ecosystem. The growing awareness of these effects has revealed the need to take adequate measures to minimize the emission of air polluting products. The two most important contaminants, occurring in the largest concentrations and quantities, are sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Both pollutants are formed mainly during the combustion of fossil fuels, particularly by power stations and traffic. The effects of air pollution caused by these two contaminants have already been studied for several decades and measures to protect the environment against their adverse effects are now operative in many countries.