News

Recognising the links between air pollution and our health.

Graduate Air Quality Consultant Sophie Brough was named the winner of the 2024 Ian McCrae Award at the Routes to Clean Air conference, the annual conference from the professional body of air quality – the Institute of Air Quality Management  (IAQM) on the 23rd October 2024.

This annual award takes the form of an essay competition that is open to early careers members of the IAQM. It is presented in honour of the late Dr Ian McCrae who made significant contributions to the understanding of emissions from transport and their links with air quality. 

Original Essay published at iaqm.co.uk

Informing about the invisible

Increasing public understanding of the need for air quality improvement is challenging because it involves raising awareness of an invisible threat. Despite alarming statistics on air pollution-related deaths, there is insufficient action to promote clean air as a human right, despite humans breathing up to 12 kg of air daily. As an air quality consultant, I often encounter confusion about my role, which highlights the lack of awareness around the profession and its significance. This is why those working in the field must advocate for clean air and promote environmentally conscious choices, not only to those in wider society but also to others in the built environment.

The public is not necessarily unaware of the health burden of air pollution, as media outlets frequently emphasise its health impacts. However, there is often little understanding of the simple lifestyle changes that can have an impact. For instance, active travel methods or government measures like London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, which has lowered NO2 concentrations in outer London by 21%, are rarely publicised for their air quality benefits. If these benefits were more widely promoted, these initiatives might not be viewed as inconveniences but as necessary steps toward cleaner air.

Holistic approach

Knowledge is powerful and those in the built environment who engage with air quality can help increase awareness by talking to family members, friends, local MPs, and key stakeholders.

Education

Collaboration with schools through STEAM programmes could introduce air quality topics into curriculums, extending beyond single events like Clean Air Day. It is essential to involve younger generations, as their behaviours will shape the future air quality landscape. In the future, low-cost air quality sensors could be introduced into homes through school programmes, allowing families to track pollutant levels related to everyday activities like cooking or cleaning. This could inspire behaviour changes by linking personal habits to spikes in indoor air quality.

Improving air quality data accessibility

Moreover, improving access to local air quality data could help motivate people to adopt cleaner behaviours. For example, while the Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI) exists, it is not always explained clearly. Making real-time air quality data more widely available could empower individuals to make informed decisions, like avoiding outdoor activities during high-pollution episodes or adjusting their commute to avoid heavily polluted areas.

Like the inclusion of air quality forecasts on Google Maps, air quality professionals could work on integrating real-time data into apps that track local pollution. Initiatives like London’s ‘Breathe London’ sensor network could serve as a model for a national system, allowing communities to visualise local pollution levels in an app interface. This data would help individuals adopt air quality friendly practices.

Incentivising sustainable travel

A major barrier to behavioural changes in the UK is the lack of reliable public transport. If public transport provisions are improved, an increase in use should follow.

For example, integrating CO2 savings, time savings, and calories burned for cycling or walking routes into Google Maps could encourage people to choose these alternatives over
taxis or private cars, reducing congestion and emissions.

A recent initiative over the summer in Copenhagen titled ‘Copenpay’ aimed to incentivise sustainable travel through providing rewards including free tickets to local museums for example for providing proof of public transport use instead of private cars. This concept of “spending good energy” could be used across the UK school holidays to incentivise changes in behaviour for air quality improvement, led by air quality professionals.

Summary

In summary, promoting air quality improvement requires collaboration at both a local and national level and also includes informing individuals in the built environment on the importance of both external and internal air quality in designing healthy buildings for future occupant comfort and wellbeing.