The AIR Network - Action for Interdisciplinary air pollution Research

AIR 网络 - 跨学科空气污染研究行动

• 批准号: AH/R006059/1
• 负责人: Sarah West
• 金额: $ 21.5万
• 依托单位: University of York
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2017 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FR006059%2F1
• 关键词: AIR; Network; Action; Interdisciplinary; air

Air pollution is a major health concern around the world. Particulate matter (abbreviated as PM) is the mostly invisible particles in the air that stem from burning fuels such as charcoal, wood, petrol, kerosene. Every breath a person takes contains PM and PM is the type of air pollution that most commonly causes ill health. The smallest PM is known as fine PM or PM2.5 - the particles are only 2.5 microns (2.5 millionths of a metre) or less in diameter. These particles are so small that they can be inhaled deep into the lungs. In Africa alone, PM2.5 causes 670,000 premature deaths annually. As well as reducing life expectancy, it lowers the quality of life through respiratory and cardiovascular diseases often leading to a reduction in the resilience and productivity of people. Levels of this air pollutant are particularly high in informal settlements (sometimes referred to as slums), both outdoor and indoor: outdoor due to the location of settlements which is often near to industrial areas, busy and dusty roads, and sites of litter burning, and indoor due to cooking, lighting and heating with low-quality fuels in badly ventilated huts. Attempts to improve air pollution and reduce people's exposure to it have been introduced in Nairobi's informal settlements in recent years, including awareness raising campaigns. However, significant positive effects on people's health have not yet been reported. New approaches are needed which bring together researchers from different disciplines and people who live and work in the informal settlements to discuss the issues, raise awareness and consider potential solutions. These solutions will integrate scientific, non-scientific and societal understanding and knowledge to ensure relevance and impact.The new Air pollution Interdisciplinary Research (AIR) Network will bring together residents of informal settlements (e.g. Mukuru, Korogocho etc.) in Nairobi (Kenya), community organisations and UK and African researchers in a workshop, monthly meetings and mini-projects to gain a deep understanding of i) air pollution issues faced by residents of these settlements and ii) the causes of these issues. Many of the network members have worked with residents of African informal settlements before, but not in the interdisciplinary manner proposed for this network. We will use a variety of methods drawn from the different disciplines we represent, including theatre, street games and participatory workshops, and will use the understanding gained through these to begin to develop intervention options with local residents that can improve the health and wellbeing of local community members. By the end of the project we will be able to apply for funding to trial and implement intervention options and conduct larger scale studies across Sub-Saharan Africa.Our partners and contacts in the settlements will publicise the project to the residents but also policymakers, stakeholders and researchers using channels such as local radio, newspapers, twitter, theatre and street games and art. We will also communicate about the project more widely through a dedicated project website (incorporating a blog, video-diaries, ideas for games and other resources), project team members' social media accounts and to academic audiences through conferences and papers. Like all our activities, these communication outputs will be co-designed with local residents, and where appropriate translated into the key local languages.

空气污染是世界各地的一个主要健康问题。颗粒物（缩写为 PM）是空气中几乎看不见的颗粒，源自木炭、木材、汽油、煤油等燃料的燃烧。人的每次呼吸都含有 PM，而 PM 是最常导致健康不良的空气污染类型。最小的 PM 被称为细 PM 或 PM2.5 - 颗粒直径仅为 2.5 微米（百万分之 2.5 米）或更小。这些颗粒非常小，可以被吸入肺部深处。仅在非洲，PM2.5 每年就会导致 67 万人过早死亡。它不仅会缩短预期寿命，还会因呼吸系统和心血管疾病而降低生活质量，通常会导致人们的恢复力和生产力下降。这种空气污染物的水平在非正规住区（有时称为贫民窟）中特别高，无论是室外还是室内：室外是因为住区的位置通常靠近工业区、繁忙且尘土飞扬的道路以及垃圾焚烧场，而室内是因为在通风不良的小屋中使用劣质燃料做饭、照明和取暖。近年来，内罗毕的非正规住区采取了改善空气污染和减少人们接触空气污染的措施，包括提高认识活动。然而，对人们健康的显着积极影响尚未见报道。需要采取新的方法，将来自不同学科的研究人员和在非正规住区生活和工作的人们聚集在一起，讨论问题、提高认识并考虑潜在的解决方案。这些解决方案将整合科学、非科学和社会理解和知识，以确保相关性和影响力。新的空气污染跨学科研究 (AIR) 网络将汇集内罗毕（肯尼亚）非正规住区（例如 Mukuru、Korogocho 等）的居民、社区组织以及英国和非洲研究人员，通过研讨会、月度会议和小型项目深入了解 i) 空气污染问题 这些定居点的居民所面临的问题以及 ii) 这些问题的原因。该网络的许多成员以前曾与非洲非正式住区的居民合作过，但并未以该网络提议的跨学科方式进行工作。我们将使用来自我们所代表的不同学科的各种方法，包括戏剧、街头游戏和参与式研讨会，并将利用通过这些获得的理解开始与当地居民一起制定干预方案，以改善当地社区成员的健康和福祉。项目结束时，我们将能够申请资金来试验和实施干预方案，并在撒哈拉以南非洲地区进行更大规模的研究。我们在定居点的合作伙伴和联系人将利用当地广播、报纸、推特、剧院、街头游戏和艺术等渠道向居民以及政策制定者、利益相关者和研究人员宣传该项目。我们还将通过专门的项目网站（包括博客、视频日记、游戏创意和其他资源）、项目团队成员的社交媒体帐户以及通过会议和论文与学术受众更广泛地交流该项目。与我们所有的活动一样，这些沟通成果将与当地居民共同设计，并在适当的情况下翻译成当地主要语言。

项目成果

From reflection diaries to practical guidance for transdisciplinary research: learnings from a Kenyan air pollution project.

• DOI: 10.1007/s11625-023-01317-0
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
• 影响因子: 6
• 作者: Price, Heather D.;Bowyer, Cressida J.;Bueker, Patrick;Gray, Cindy M.;Hahn, Matthew;Lambe, Fiona;Loh, Miranda;Medcalf, Alexander J.;Njoora, Timothy Kamau;Waelde, Charlotte;Wainwright, Megan;West, Sarah E.
• 通讯作者: West, Sarah E.

Using a co-created transdisciplinary approach to explore the complexity of air pollution in informal settlements

使用共同创建的跨学科方法来探索非正规住区空气污染的复杂性

• DOI: 10.1057/s41599-021-00969-6
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications
• 作者: West S