- 2125 - 
MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION BY REMOTE SENSING 
P.A. Vass and J.L. van Genderen 
Environment and Resources Consultancy 
Fairey Surveys Limited, 
Reform Road, 
MAIDENHEAD 
Berkshire 
England 
Abstract 
During the past twenty years, the polluted envirenment has become 
oue of the major concerns of industrial societies. Continued 
growth in industrial development and in the wastes from an ever 
increasing number of sources, together with the meed to preserve 
nature in ite many forms have found attention focused on the 
burgeoning problems of environmental pollution amd the demand for 
the early and reliable detection of vegetation stress caused by 
pollution, sc that effective monitoring and control measures can 
be introduced. The paper outlines the various types of environmeniai 
pollution which may be studied by remote sensing. Also man's 
detrimental effect on the land as a result of his development 
activities is discussed; this is of particular relevance to 
developing countries. The role of different remote sensors such 
as airborne cameras (inciuding panchromatic, colour, colour infra 
red and multiband systems), airborne thermal and multispectral line 
scanners, side looking radar and satellite imagery for the identi- 
fication and monitoring of the environmental pollutants and their 
effect will be evaluated. 
1. Introduction 
Advances in civilisation and technology bave resulted in extreme and often 
drastic changes in the environment, tbus it is a pressing necessity to provide 
a systematic global monitoring method for the environment to aid in the 
control of pollution events. Increasing pollution of the air, land and water 
are now matters of concern for everyone. 
Polluticr can be defined (Mellanby, 1973) as any direct or indirect alteraiion 
of the physical, thermal, biological ov radioactive properties of any wart of 
the envirenment by discharging, emitting or depositing wastes or substauces so 
as to affect any beneficial use adversely, to cause a condition which is 
hazardous or potentially hazardous to public health, safety or welfare, or to 
animals, birds, aovatic life oc planis. 
One of the problems in carrying out pollution studies and environmental analysis 
is that most of the relevant parameters are not immediately visible to ihe 
human eye and others are so widespread that they cannot easily be appreciated. 
Remote sensing with its extensive range of imaging systems provides valuable 
information for the deiectico: aid analysis of pollution events (Giever,i966). 
Before describing the mein poilution types and how these may be studied by 
remove sersinzy techniques, a brier review is provided on the basic imaging 
sensors of value in such investigations.