Nov 30, 2022

Schools Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education

Share this initiative

First NameKatherine

Last NameRoberts

Emailkr526@cam.ac.uk

What is the name of your organization?SAMHE

Website/URLhttps://samhe.org.uk

What best describes the type of organisation that you are representing?University and/or research institute

Where are you based?Imperial College, London, SW7 2BX, GB

Name of the equipment
	AirGradient One
Brand
	Air Gradient
The number of these devices used in your initiative (estimation):
	1,000
Origin
	Commercial product
Measured parameter (you can select several)
	PM2.5 Temperature Humidity CO2 VOC

Communication type
	Wifi
Energy type
	Regular power plug USB
Does your device allow SD cards?
	No
Temporal resolution
	1 minute
Where are you measuring air quality?
	Indoor
Device’s location
	Public building
Level of expertise required to operate
	Simple if you take the time to read the documentation
What is the approximate market price per unit?
	£155

What is the name of your initiative?Schools Air Quality Monitoring for Health and Education

How would you describe the main mission of your initiative?Measure/monitor air quality, Raise awareness/education, Air quality modelling

Please provide a short description of your initiative (What is being done? Who is participating? What are your main goals?) This text will appear on the main page.SAMHE brings together pupils, teachers, scientists from 6 institutions across the UK and is supported by the UK Governments’ Department for Education. SAMHE will establish a network of air quality monitors in schools across the UK, creating an unparalleled dataset which will help researchers better understand schools’ indoor air quality and provide evidence for better national policies and practice. This will enable pupils to interact with real world data about their environment and gives them agency to take informed action.

Who is your main audience?Schools

If possible, provide the list of partners involved in the initiative.Department for Education, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of York (through the Stockholm Environment Institute’s York centre), University of Surrey, University of Leeds, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Centre for Applied Education Research, and Camden Clean Air Initiative.

How is this initiative funded?Fully funded European project

Please provide an estimation of the total budget of the initiative (in €):I don’t know

What is the duration of the initiative?1 to 5 years

How many participants (citizen scientists, volunteers, etc.) have been involved (approximately)?100 – 500

Website that presents your initiativehttps://samhe.org.uk

Please upload a picture to illustrate your initiativehttps://citimeasure.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/gravity_forms/1-ac26b2f28fbd1afdb0c6e30541245704/2022/11/samhe-purple-SMALL.png

Are you using a platform for data visualisation?Yes, we have created our own data platform

From 0 (the lowest) to 5 (the highest), how easily accessible and user-friendly is your platform?5

Would you like to share with us any additional information? (Max 300 words)Teachers and pupils will be able to access their data through a specially designed interactive Web App, seeing how air quality changes over the course of hours, days or weeks and months. The Web App will also offer a range of related activities and experiments, creating opportunities for pupils to be scientists and do hands-on experiments with their monitor. We are working with schools at every stage of the project to ensure that it meets schools’ needs and is fun and engaging for pupils. About twenty schools helped design the project logo and the initial version of the Web App. Another hundred schools have already received SAMHE air quality monitors and access to the beta version of the SAMHE Web App. They are helping test the Web App and the activities on it, and giving suggestions for improvements and additional activities. Our developers are busy incorporating these into the App, ready for the full launch of SAMHE in early 2023.

Other Initiatives

Humidity NO2 Noise O3 PM10 PM2.5 Temperature

Co-Designing Inclusive Mobility: CoMobility

Location: Warszawa, Poland

Description: In CoMobility, we measured PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and noise in three elementary schools in Warsaw, Poland as well as conducted a series of co-creation workshops, where young experts (2nd and 3rd grade pupils) collaborated with adult experts to enhance more sustainable mobility solutions and reduce the use of private cars in their schools neighbourhoods. Among the co-created and implemented solutions are bicycle road maps, street art, children gazette, and single actions such as children manifestations or mime performances.

List of parameters measured: PM2.5, PM10, NO2, Temperature, O3, Humidity, Noise

Urbanity

Location: Kjeller, Norway

Description: URBANITY is a research project looking at opportunities to use smart technology to monitor pollution and traffic in Norwegian cities. The aim is to provide the municipality and its citizens with better information about pollution and traffic where they live.

List of parameters measured: PM1, PM2.5, PM10, Temperature, Humidity, Other

NordicPATH, a project about Nordic participatory, healthy, and people-centered cities.

Location: Kjeller, Norway

Description: NordicPATH’s overall objective is to establish a new model for citizens' participation and collaborative planning in the Nordic countries focused on urban air quality and the interlinked challenge of climate change. The project focuses on strategies to engage citizens in the process of socio-technological change required by planners and designers to provide the built environment and the services that will shape future sustainable cities with a human-centered approach.

List of parameters measured: PM1, PM2.5, PM10, NO2, Temperature, Humidity