Towards reducing air pollution toxicity

 

A new measurement approach to pollution toxicity

Indeed, Steimer and her team plan to use the instrument to quantify ROS concentration in atmospheric particles, and map their distribution within two cities, namely London and Dehli. Characterising ROS spatial and temporal variability in these highly polluted environments will shed light on the sources of ROS, and thus help answer crucial questions such as: « are ROS really the reason why pollution is bad for us? And if they are, where do they come from exactly? Instead of targeting all the things that generate particles, we choose to concentrate on the things that generate the ones we think are the most dangerous », Steimer summarises.« We can’t expect stake holders to ban everything that generates particles, at least not in the near future. But if we can tell them which sources are the most threatening, then they can tend to the most urgent measures. »

Despite the suspected importance of their role in pollution-related health effects, reactive oxygen species remain mysterious chemical compounds. By aiming to characterise and monitor ROS in two polluted cities, Dr. Sarah Steimer’s research holds great promise for a better understanding of the toxicity of atmospheric particles. Given than 91% of the world’s population lives in places where the air quality levels exceed WHO limits, this is an issue that concerns all of us. In developing countries in particular, Steimer insists, her findings could help prevent repeating «the profound air pollution-related mistakes of industrialisation and urbanisation in Europe and the US of the past».