Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Graduate School of the Environment, 1997. / Bibliography: p. 179-190. / 1. Summary -- 2. Introduction -- 3. Current process models -- 4. Proposed pollution process model -- 5. Brown haze air pollution in Sydney -- 6. Ozone air pollution in Sydney -- 7. Ozone air pollution in Melbourne -- 8. Beach pollution in Sydney -- 9. Water pollution in the Parramatta River -- 10. Comparison of case study indicators and results -- 11. Summary of research -- 12. Conclusion. / Existing process models describe the general social and institutional processes involved in the solution of environmental problems and in the solution of public policy problems. These existing models do not include many processes specific to pollution problems and in most cases they do not included a quantitative assessment of the likely duration and strength of the processes involved. In this work I have proposed a process model with nine specific processes involved in the solution of major regional pollution problems. I have named the nine processes: affected party, harbinger, public concern, political action, inquiry, body of knowledge, legislation, allocation of funds, and organisational change. The processes were selected to be consistent with general processes of the literature models and to reflect actual processes that have been involved in the solution of pollution problems in Sydney since European settlement. I have used five case studies of regional air and water pollution problems from the Australian cities of Melbourne and Sydney. The nine proposed processes were identified in each of the case study problems and were quantified by the use of indicators that measured the strength and duration of the individual process. / x, 200 leaves