Clean Air Research Futures Group
The Clean Air Research Futures Group (CARFuG) brings together a broad range of participants in a series of meetings that will map out the future research and evidence requirements as our air pollution climate changes over the coming decades. Convened by the UK Clean Air Champions, the group supports the joint UK Research and Innovation and Met Office Strategic Priorities Fund Clean Air Programme.
The group is Chaired by the Clean Air Champions who also function as a secretariat. It meets three times year and has a small membership, including people from industry, government, and NGO communities as well as researchers in fields such as health, transport and urban planning. Membership will vary according the topic chosen.
Meeting 5: What are the evidence gaps to enable effective action to reduce the impacts of air pollution from agriculture?
PM2.5 across the UK and Western Europe is frequently dominated by particles that contain ammonia. Within the UK around 90 % of ammonia comes from agriculture. Ammonia is emitted as a gas and rapidly transforms into ammonium particles by combining with sulphate and nitrate. These represent roughly 20% to 40% of total PM2.5 in the air.
Despite clear evidence from the air pollution science community, progress in reducing emissions and concentrations has been slow. It is clear that the air pollution science community is not inclusive of all the possible solutions. Less heard are the voices of the farming community.
We therefore plan to focus the fifth meeting of the Clean Air Research Futures Group on the topic, specifically, “What are the evidence gaps to enable effective action to reduce the impacts of air pollution from agriculture?”
Presentation slides: click here for the presentation slides
Meeting 4: What research is needed to understand and manage air pollution exposure in indoor public spaces and transport environments?
Presentation slides: click here for the presentation slides
Meeting 3: What research is needed to understand and track inequalities and vulnerabilities in air pollution exposure?
Presentation slides: click here for the presentation slides
Meeting 2: Creating a pathway toward the new WHO guidelines – what are the evidence gaps?
Since 1987, the World Health Organisation have been setting guidelines for the quality of our outdoor air. They are designed to offer guidance in reducing the health impacts of air pollution and are based on expert evaluation of current scientific evidence. They are not legally binding, but they do act as a yardstick for governments around the world to help with their own standard setting processes and they help the public to understand the level of ambition that its required.
New guidelines were issued by the WHO in September 2021. This is the first revision since 2005 and included some major changes, reflecting advancements in the evidence base.
The second meeting of the Clean Air Research Futures Group focussed on “Creating a pathway toward the new WHO guidelines – what are the evidence gaps?” The following report identifies several priority research needs and opportunities and provides a summary of the presentations and discussion.
Report: Creating a pathway toward the new WHO guidelines – what are the evidence gaps?
Presentation slides: click here for the presentation slides
Meeting 1: Making it personal – will small / portable sensors transform air pollution management and research?
If only we could see the air pollution around us, we could identify the culprits and avoid exposure. More accessible, small sensors are deployable in large numbers across a given area and could open exciting new opportunities for community engagement and personal action, providing the opportunity to make air pollution ‘visible’.
But do they work? How can we use them to tell us more about the air pollution that we breathe? And do they open new opportunities to address knowledge gaps to help us manage air pollution? As framed neatly in the meeting, the challenge is to place the right sensor in the right place, at the right time and to provide the right data to the right person in a way that is then understood and can be actionable.
The first meeting of the Clean Air Research Futures Group took place on 6th October 2021 and focussed on “Making it personal – will small / portable sensors transform air pollution management and research?” The following report identifies several priority research needs and opportunities and provides a summary of the presentations and discussion.