Personal air pollution exposure assessment with schoolchildren in rural Wales

Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution. However, most UK exposure studies focus on urban areas, mainly school environments and commutes. Rural settings, where distinct pollution sources and personal exposure patterns can differ, are often overlooked. This study assessed schoolchildren's personal PM_2.5 exposure across home, school, and commute settings on the Isle of Anglesey, a rural area in North Wales. Using low-cost sensors and a citizen science approach, it generated first-hand data while engaging children in monitoring. The pilot study involved 53 children from two primary schools, with 94 % providing valid data. Results showed that the average daily mean PM_2.5 exposure across all participants was 6.5 μg/m³, though individual daily means reached as high as 43.5 μg/m³. Home environments exhibited the highest and most variable PM_2.5 levels, linked to indoor sources such as wood burners and adult smoking reported by the participating students. The placement of sensors within households also significantly influenced exposure measurements. In contrast, levels during school hours and commutes were lower and more stable, with occasional spikes, for instance, during walks (depending on the route) or when exposed to second-hand smoke from adult smoking in cars. Children attending the rural school had slightly higher PM_2.5 exposure across all microenvironments when compared to the urban school, potentially tied to higher wood burner use, suggesting links between heating practices, fuel poverty, and socioeconomic factors. Crucially, the findings highlight that parents' behaviours play a more significant role in determining children's exposure levels than the children's own choices.