A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development
This paper investigates the use of a citizen science approach for air quality monitoring to explore the likely pollution impacts of the new Missing Link #12 road passing through the informal settlement of Kibera, within Nairobi. Citizen science approaches are gaining relevance in air quality monitor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | City and Environment Interactions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590252023000077 |
| _version_ | 1797802736765370368 |
|---|---|
| author | Talib Manshur Carlo Luiu William R. Avis Vera Bukachi Michael Gatari Joe Mulligan David Ng'an'ga Jonathan Radcliffe Ajit Singh Ezequiel Waiguru Amos Wandera Francis D. Pope |
| author_facet | Talib Manshur Carlo Luiu William R. Avis Vera Bukachi Michael Gatari Joe Mulligan David Ng'an'ga Jonathan Radcliffe Ajit Singh Ezequiel Waiguru Amos Wandera Francis D. Pope |
| author_sort | Talib Manshur |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper investigates the use of a citizen science approach for air quality monitoring to explore the likely pollution impacts of the new Missing Link #12 road passing through the informal settlement of Kibera, within Nairobi. Citizen science approaches are gaining relevance in air quality monitoring thanks to the advancement in environmental monitoring technology and the opportunities created for community-based organizations to collect data on air pollution through low-cost sensors. Fourteen households located in proximity to the Missing Link#12 were equipped with optical particle sensors. Data collected indicated that people living along the road are exposed to levels of PM2.5 and PM10 above WHO recommendations, mainly due to the particulate generated by the construction site and fuels used for indoor cooking. A community engagement workshop revealed that participatory approaches are useful for improving awareness of air pollution and associated health implications. It also allowed the community to enhance their capability to gain and use scientific tools to address local issues, and potentially lobby decision-makers to solve them. In the context of transport infrastructure development in African cities, such an approach can be a means of collecting data and monitoring the impacts of air pollution during and after road building. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:10:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b745df8a7a6d49afb8112590b5a8caaf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-2520 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:10:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | City and Environment Interactions |
| spelling | doaj.art-b745df8a7a6d49afb8112590b5a8caaf2023-06-16T05:11:36ZengElsevierCity and Environment Interactions2590-25202023-08-0119100105A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal developmentTalib Manshur0Carlo Luiu1William R. Avis2Vera Bukachi3Michael Gatari4Joe Mulligan5David Ng'an'ga6Jonathan Radcliffe7Ajit Singh8Ezequiel Waiguru9Amos Wandera10Francis D. Pope11Kounkuey Design Initiative, Nairobi, KenyaInstitute for Global Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomInternational Development Department, School of Government, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomKounkuey Design Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya; Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, Faculty of the Built Environment, University College London, United Kingdom; Arup East Africa Limited, Nairobi, KenyaInstitute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaDepartment of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden; Kounkuey Design Initiative, Stockholm, SwedenInstitute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaSchool of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomSchool of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomInstitute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, KenyaKounkuey Design Initiative, Nairobi, KenyaSchool of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Corresponding author.This paper investigates the use of a citizen science approach for air quality monitoring to explore the likely pollution impacts of the new Missing Link #12 road passing through the informal settlement of Kibera, within Nairobi. Citizen science approaches are gaining relevance in air quality monitoring thanks to the advancement in environmental monitoring technology and the opportunities created for community-based organizations to collect data on air pollution through low-cost sensors. Fourteen households located in proximity to the Missing Link#12 were equipped with optical particle sensors. Data collected indicated that people living along the road are exposed to levels of PM2.5 and PM10 above WHO recommendations, mainly due to the particulate generated by the construction site and fuels used for indoor cooking. A community engagement workshop revealed that participatory approaches are useful for improving awareness of air pollution and associated health implications. It also allowed the community to enhance their capability to gain and use scientific tools to address local issues, and potentially lobby decision-makers to solve them. In the context of transport infrastructure development in African cities, such an approach can be a means of collecting data and monitoring the impacts of air pollution during and after road building.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590252023000077Citizen scienceAir qualitySensorsInformal settlementsNairobiKenya |
| spellingShingle | Talib Manshur Carlo Luiu William R. Avis Vera Bukachi Michael Gatari Joe Mulligan David Ng'an'ga Jonathan Radcliffe Ajit Singh Ezequiel Waiguru Amos Wandera Francis D. Pope A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development City and Environment Interactions Citizen science Air quality Sensors Informal settlements Nairobi Kenya |
| title | A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development |
| title_full | A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development |
| title_fullStr | A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development |
| title_full_unstemmed | A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development |
| title_short | A citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a Kenyan informal development |
| title_sort | citizen science approach for air quality monitoring in a kenyan informal development |
| topic | Citizen science Air quality Sensors Informal settlements Nairobi Kenya |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590252023000077 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT talibmanshur acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT carloluiu acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT williamravis acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT verabukachi acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT michaelgatari acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT joemulligan acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT davidnganga acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT jonathanradcliffe acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT ajitsingh acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT ezequielwaiguru acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT amoswandera acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT francisdpope acitizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT talibmanshur citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT carloluiu citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT williamravis citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT verabukachi citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT michaelgatari citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT joemulligan citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT davidnganga citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT jonathanradcliffe citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT ajitsingh citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT ezequielwaiguru citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT amoswandera citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment AT francisdpope citizenscienceapproachforairqualitymonitoringinakenyaninformaldevelopment |