Context: An international project uses art and technology to visualize and communicate the health risks of air pollution in India, Ethiopia, and the U.K., promoting public awareness and discussions on air quality.

Key highlights

• Project Scope: This research used digital light painting to visualize air pollution in India, Ethiopia, and the U.K.

• Key Findings: Cities like Delhi, India, had much higher5 (fine particulate matter) pollution than rural areas.

• Health Impact: The study highlights the link between air pollution and serious health issues like heart disease, stroke, and cancers.

• Research Published: Findings were published in a prestigious scientific journal, Nature Communications Earth & Environment.

• Visual Method: A unique technique was used: an LED light array that changed intensity based on real-time PM2.5 readings.

• Global Perspective: The project showed how air pollution varies across contexts, with factors like biomass stoves in Ethiopia contributing to the problem.

• Exhibitions: The light painting visualizations were displayed in various locations like Los Angeles, Belfast, and Birmingham to raise awareness.

Why it matters?

• The team used low-cost sensors to measure PM concentrations in real-time. LED lights were controlled by these sensors to create visual representations of pollution levels.

• Long exposure photography captured these light patterns, with more dots indicating higher PM concentrations.

• The project makes invisible air pollution visible, sparking discussions and raising awareness about its health risks.

• It provides a simple way for people to understand and compare air pollution levels in different locations.

About Extent of Pollution in India

• An estimated 1.36 billion people in India experience PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the WHO's recommended annual guideline level of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

• 96% of India's population, or 1.33 billion people, face PM2.5 levels more than seven times the WHO guideline.

• Over 66% of Indian cities report annual PM2.5 averages greater than 35 micrograms per cubic meter.

Health Impacts

• Air pollution is a significant threat to human health, responsible for an estimated one in every nine deaths globally.

• Exposure to PM2.5 pollution can lead to asthma, cancer, stroke, lung disease, and other serious health conditions.

• Children's cognitive development, mental health, and existing illnesses, like diabetes, can be adversely affected by exposure to fine particles.