Why participation matters for air quality studies: risk perceptions, understandings of air pollution and mobilization in a poor neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya

Ngo, Nicole S.; Kokoyo, S.; Klopp, Jacqueline M.

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2015.07.014

Cited by 46 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Participation by residents in the monitoring is an important way to communicate the science of air pollution to citizens (Ngo et al 2015a). Studies show that Nairobi residents from poor neighbourhoods appear to have a wide variety of often-inaccurate perceptions about air pollution, in part because they have very little information about it (Egondi et al, 2013;Muindi et al, 2014;Ngo et al, 2017Ngo et al, , 2015. Nevertheless, a 2015 telephone survey of a representative sample of Nairobi residents, revealed that a majority of Nairobi's adult citizens perceive the air in the city as bad or very bad (69%) and among those who consider the air bad, 93% believed it had an impact on their health.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Nairobi experiment in using low cost air quality monitors

deSouza¹,

Nthusi

Klopp

et al. 2017

Clean Air J.

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Many African cities have growing air quality problems, but few have air quality monitoring systems in place. Low cost air quality sensors have the potential to bridge this data gap. This study describes the experimental deployment of six low cost air quality monitors consisting of an optical particle counter Alphasense OPC-N2 for measuring PM 1 , PM 2.5 and PM 10 , and Alphasense A-series electrochemical (amperometric) gas sensors: NO2-A43F, SO2-A4, NO-A4 for measuring NO 2 , NO and SO 2 in four schools, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) headquarters and a community center in Nairobi. The monitors were deployed on May 1 2016 and are still logging data. This paper analyses the data from May 1 2016 to Jan 11 2017. By examining the data produced by these sensors, we illustrate the strengths, as well as the technical limitations of using low cost sensors for monitoring air quality. We show that despite technical limitations, sensors can provide indicative measurements of air quality that are valuable to local communities. It was also found that such a sensor network can play an important role in engaging citizens by raising awareness about the importance of addressing poor air quality. We conclude that these sensors are clearly a potentially important complement but not a substitute for high quality and reliable air quality monitoring systems as problems of calibration, certification, quality control and reporting remain to be solved

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Nairobi experiment in using low cost air quality monitors

deSouza¹,

Nthusi

Klopp

et al. 2017

Clean Air J.

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“…In addition to technology solutions (Section 6), we highlight here the There are limited studies internationally (Ginja et al, 2017;Kinney et al, 2000;Ngo et al, 2017;Pantavou et al, 2017;Wakefield et al, 2001) that have focussed on assessing the community perception of the air pollution exposure as compared to many more studies from…”

Section: Community Empowermentmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of factors surrounding the air pollution exposure to in-pram babies and mitigation strategies

Sharma

Kumar

2018

Environment International

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Air pollution exposure to in-pram babies poses a serious threat to their early childhood development, necessitating a need for effective mitigation measures. We reviewed the scientific and grey literature on in-pram babies and their personal exposure to traffic generated air pollutants such as particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM), ≤2.5 μm (PM), ≤0.10 μm (ultrafine particles) in size, black carbon and nitrogen oxides and potential mitigation pathways. In-pram babies can be exposed up to ~60% higher average concentrations depending on the pollutant types compared with adults. The air within the first few meters above the road level is usually most polluted. Therefore, we classified various pram types based on criteria such as height, width and the seating capacity (single versus twin) and assessed the breathing heights of sitting babies in various pram types available in the market. This classification revealed the pram widths between 0.56 and 0.82 m and top handle heights up to ~1.25 m as opposed to breathing height between 0.55 and 0.85 m, suggesting that the concentration within the first meter above the road level is critical for exposure to in-pram babies. The assessment of flow features around the prams suggests that meteorological conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction) and traffic-produced turbulence affect the pollution dispersion around them. A survey of the physicochemical properties of particles from roadside environment demonstrated the dominance of toxic metals that have been shown to damage their frontal lobe as well as cognition and brain development when inhaled by in-pram babies. We then assessed a wide range of active and passive exposure mitigation strategies, including a passive control at the receptor such as the enhanced filtration around the breathing zone and protection of prams via covers. Technological solutions such as creating a clean air zone around the breathing area can provide instant solutions. However, a holistic approach involving a mix of innovative technological solutions, community empowerment and exposure-centric policies are needed to help limit personal exposure of in-pram babies.

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“…In the case of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a citizen science project was developed to allow citizens contribute with information of what they saw and smell, such as "smells, smoke, and other potential risk factors", which can in turn be used in decision-making and in complementing expert science (McCormick, 2012, p.2). Furthermore, as experts and the public often work together in these projects, exchange knowledge, and discuss scientific data -as opposed to just reciving the outcomes generated by experts alone, these projects have become a means of 10 improving communication and the levels of trust in each other (Ngo et al, 2017;Thiel et al, 2014).…”

Section: Citizen Science: Awareness Raising and Long-term Knowledge mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Kenya, for example, a forum was organized by climate experts in order to seek traditional knowledge, and build flood early warning systems: "local farmers are witnesses of their own environment and the first to 5 notice changes and potential risks" and thus, "open dialog is necessary to build climate products that reflect farmers' needs in terms of warnings" (Senaratna et al, 2013, p.11). Another air pollution forum, also in Kenya, explored how academics and local residents together could design action points to tackle the air quality issue (Ngo et al, 2017).…”

Section: Forums: Long-term Knowledge Exchangementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The third strategy is inspired by citizen science projects, through which the non-experts collect data that later guide the discussion and debate process. Asking participants to take personal 30 exposures to Particulate Matter (PM), can be a starting point for the latter discussion and can aid the non-expert in building and supporting their arguments (Ngo et al, 2017). The last strategy, consists of initiating the forums with an informative session.…”

Section: Forums: Long-term Knowledge Exchangementioning

confidence: 99%

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Building bridges between experts and the public: a comparison of two-way communication formats for flooding and air pollution risk

Loroño-Leturiondo¹,

O’Hare²,

Cook³

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Urban centres worldwide are adversely affected by flooding and air pollution. Better prepared citizens are crucial to limiting the impacts of these hazards, and both lay knowledge and personal experiences are important in complementing and challenging expert opinion. For the first time, this study offers a critical comparison of how different two-way communication 10formats have been used worldwide between experts and the public in relation to flooding and air pollution risk. Through a systematic review, we analyse social media, educational programmes, serious games, citizen science, and forums in terms of their effectiveness in respect of communicating short-term incidents, long-term awareness, and long-term knowledge in the context of flooding and air pollution risk. We find that there is neither a one-size-fits-all, nor superior, format of communication. No single format is effective in fulfilling all three communication pruposes. All five formats analysed appear 15 to be successful under different circumstances and are never representative of all segments of the population. Communication between experts and the public is difficult and full of tensions, information alone is not enough. Our study shows different ways of incorporating strategies to build trust between experts and the public and make communication more fun and accessible, breaking down hierarchies and creating safe spaces for co-creation where everyone feels empowered to participate and benefits. 20

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Why participation matters for air quality studies: risk perceptions, understandings of air pollution and mobilization in a poor neighborhood in Nairobi, Kenya

Cited by 46 publications

References 29 publications

A Nairobi experiment in using low cost air quality monitors

A Nairobi experiment in using low cost air quality monitors

A review of factors surrounding the air pollution exposure to in-pram babies and mitigation strategies

Building bridges between experts and the public: a comparison of two-way communication formats for flooding and air pollution risk

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