PhD defence Arnold Bergstra
People living in the immediate vicinity of industrial activities can be exposed to air pollution, such as particular matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen oxide (NOX), sulphur dioxide SO2 and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which can cause different health effects (e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and mortality). The release of air pollution can take place under stable conditions (average exposure) and during accidents in plants, disruption of production, or during transportation of hazardous materials (peak exposure). The influence of air pollution from industrial activities on health and the how industrial activities (including incidents) influence citizens’ risk perception and (protective) behaviour are investigated by Arnold Bergstra.