Large-scale citizen science protocol provides high-resolution nitrogen dioxide values while enhancing community...

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Public Health
• Citizen Science

Background:

• Air quality monitoring is crucial for public health.
• High-resolution data is needed to understand localized pollution.
• Citizen science offers a scalable approach to data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a validated protocol for large-scale air quality monitoring.
• To obtain unprecedented high-resolution nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in Barcelona.
• To engage communities, including schools, in air quality data collection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the established xAire citizen science protocol.
• Engaged 1,650 community members across 18 primary schools in Barcelona.
• Collected NO2 data from outdoor locations, playgrounds, and school buildings.
• Calibrated and annualized data using reference air quality monitoring stations.

Main Results:

• Successfully gathered 725 NO2 measurements through citizen science efforts.
• Achieved high-resolution NO2 data across diverse urban environments.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of large-scale community-based air quality monitoring.

Conclusions:

• The xAire protocol is effective for large-scale citizen science air quality monitoring.
• Community engagement, particularly with schools, enhances data collection capacity.
• High-resolution NO2 data can be obtained through citizen science, informing public health initiatives.