Europe as a densely populated and heavily industrialized region is con
fronted with serious problems regarding the prevention of air pollutio
n. Transboundary transport of pollutants which are emitted from anthro
pogenic sources transformed by photochemical processes common phenomen
on and a major issue of environmental abatement strategies. This artic
le discusses sources of air pollution, the consequences of anthropogen
ic emissions for air quality, trends, and the role of atmospheric scie
nce applied to the problem of air pollution.