Air Pollution in New Zealand

The control of air pollution is more of an art than a science, still lacking an adequate power of numeration to qualify as a truly scientific discipI-ine, despite a long history of concern about it. There was, for example, legislation against air pollution in London in the 13th century, and, until the time of Pasteur, sundry qualities of "night airs" and "fetid vapours" were held re~ sponsible for most human ailments. When the public health revolution occurred in the 19th century the establislunent of a veIY real relationship between 'vater pollution and personal hygiene and disease seems to have diverted attention from air pollution. It became the Cinderella of the environ. mental scienlCes and was largely neglected until the second half of this century.