Effects framework
This Air Quality Project treats incineration and other source classes as evidence questions across time, not as pre-set conclusions. The same framework can be applied to traffic, ports, industry, landfill, agriculture, domestic burning and construction.
Timescale discipline
| Timescale | This Air Quality Project examines | This Air Quality Project must not overclaim |
|---|---|---|
| Short term | episodes, exceedances, abnormal operation, traffic, odour/noise, visible plume, weather windows | Do not claim a single episode caused illness without exposure and clinical/public-health evidence. |
| Medium term | permit compliance, waste contracts, recycling displacement, ash/APC residue routing, monitoring gaps | Do not infer local harm from proximity alone or from an unsuitable monitor. |
| Long term | CO₂, cumulative emissions, persistent pollutants, metals, POPs/PFAS watchlist, environmental justice, circular-economy lock-in | Do not make cancer, mortality, legal breach or source-attribution determinations without expert review. |
Mass-balance question
For every combustion or waste facility, This Air Quality Project should ask: what was accepted, what was emitted, what was captured, what became bottom ash, what became APC residue, where did residues go, and which parts are visible to the public record?
Scientific evidence and software assurance are different
Scientific evidence
Measurements, station and regional coverage, descriptive calculations, source records and stated limitations are the evidence available for review.
Engineering assurance
Automated checks confirm that the pipeline followed its declared rules. They do not constitute peer review, accreditation, regulatory approval or institutional endorsement.