Critical Review

The 56^th Annual A&WMA Critical Review

Data Fusion for Air Pollution Exposure Modeling

Sponsored by:

Authors: Yang Liu, Joshua S. Fu, and Howard H. Chang
 

	Yang Liu, Lead Author and Presenter, is the Chair and Gangarosa Distinguished Professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University. His research interests include satellite aerosol retrieval and product design, applications of satellite remote sensing in public health research, climate change and health, machine learning, and spatial statistics. Over the past 16 years, Dr. Liu has led many federally funded projects to apply satellite data in air pollution exposure and health effects modeling and study the health impacts of climate change related to extreme weather, wildfires, pollen, and ambient air pollution.
	Joshua S. Fu is the Chancellor’s Professor, John D. Tickle Professor, and James. G. Gibson Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
	Howard Chang is a Professor in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics and the Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University.

Understanding how much air pollution people are exposed to is critical for protecting public health and designing effective air pollution control policies. However, no single air quality data source—whether ground monitors, satellite observations, or atmospheric chemistry models—can provide a complete picture on its own. This review explains how data fusion brings these different sources together to create more accurate, detailed, and consistent pollution characterization. By combining the strengths of each dataset, data fusion can identify pollution hotspots more reliably, support evaluations of air-quality regulations, and provide better inputs for studies linking air pollution exposure to adverse health outcomes. These improved exposure estimates also help reveal disparities in air pollution burdens across communities, thus identifying areas of potential concern. In this 56th Annual A&WMA Critical Review, the authors highlight the major data fusion methods now in use, describe how they are applied around the world, and show how this powerful framework can incorporate emerging data sources.
 
The full-length paper will appear in the June 2026 issue of the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (JA&WMA) and its conclusions will be presented live as part of the 2026 A&WMA Annual Conference & Exhibition in Austin, Texas. Following the review presentation, a panel of invited experts will critique the presentation and offer their own views on the topic. Invited discussants will represent key stakeholder groups, including federal and state agencies; researchers; industry experts; NGOs; and community action groups. Comments also will be solicited from the floor during a live question-and-answer sequence to end the session. To complete the review process, the Critical Review Committee Chair will synthesize all of the discussion points into a single Discussion Paper that will be published in the October 2026 issue of JA&WMA.

Invited discussants will offer different perspectives on the Review and will be asked to identify additional issues and offer alternative commentary based on their scientific expertise. Confirmed discussants include: 

	Bryan Hubbell, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future Dr. Hubbell is a Senior Fellow at Resources for the Future (RFF). At RFF, he is focused on the health and economic benefits of air pollution regulations and climate change adaptation and resilience. He previously served as the national program director for the Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research and Development, which provided information critical to improving air quality; reducing the impacts of air pollution and climate hazards on human health and ecosystems; and supporting pathways to clean energy to power a thriving economy.
	Nathan R. Pavlovic, Lead Geospatial Data Scientist, Spheros Environmental Mr. Pavlovic is Lead Geospatial Data Scientist at Spheros Environmental, where he leads the use of data science tools and earth observations to assess air pollution, including wildfire smoke, and its impact on human health and the environment.
	Jia Xing, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Dr. Xing is currently a Research Associate Professor with over 20 years of research experience in atmospheric modeling using both numerical and AI-based approaches. His work focuses on atmospheric chemistry and transport modeling, physics-informed machine learning, air pollution–climate interactions, and human exposure and health impact assessment.

About the Critical Review
For more than 55 years, A&WMA has solicited and published in the Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (JA&WMA) an Annual Critical Review on a topic of critical importance to the air and waste management fields. Each year, the review author presents the Annual Critical Review during A&WMA’s Annual Conference & Exhibition. The Critical Review Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Publications Committee, selects the review topics, solicits the authors/presenters, offers editorial guidance and critiques to the review authors, reviews the final manuscript before publication, and selects the participants for the panel discussion that follows the review presentation. 

Complete list of past Critical Reviews
A&WMA Critical Review Committee Charter and Manual of Operations
A&WMA Critical Review Committee