Team: Fryagniotis Researchers

Greece 16 years old   2 / 2

Factors affecting air quality: Impacts on human health.

What factors influence the quality of air? How does it impact human health?

The climate issue we chose to study is the low air quality, which is particularly evident in Thessaloniki. Air quality poses a serious local problem, dramatically affecting the population’s health. High concentrations of pollutants, mainly originating from industrial activities, traffic congestion, and population density, constitute a concerning phenomenon. The emission of air pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), is directly linked to various respiratory problems and allergies. The need to study this phenomenon arose from concerns about health and quality of life, as human activity brings unwanted consequences to both the environment and people’s health. Therefore, we decided to conduct a research study where we will examine the factors contributing to air degradation by collecting statistical data to explore the relationship between pollution levels and respiratory system issues.

Health and environment

Our research focuses on measuring levels of air pollutants, including PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and other significant parameters in Thessaloniki using the Arduino DGS-SO2 sensor. The goal is to investigate how and to what extent these pollutants affect respiratory issues. Additionally, we will collect and utilize medical data related to various diseases caused by atmospheric pollution. Simultaneously, we will utilize space maps of sulfur dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere from the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (Ε.Μ.Υ.), corresponding meteorological stations, the European Space Agency (E.S.A.), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during specific time periods to observe the correlation between population density and atmospheric pollution.
Furthermore, through simple experimental procedures, we will measure the pH of the soil and water in the urban center before and after heavy rainfall to determine the extent to which the indicators of acid rain, directly linked to air pollutants, are increased. Our hypothesis is that pollutant concentrations in the air and rain are influenced by population density and industrial activities. We predict that the higher the concentration of these harmful gases, the greater the risk of respiratory problems (positive correlation).

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