Tools and resources for educating and influencing action around particulate pollution

When I lived in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I became obsessed with understanding and addressing air pollution.

Shortly after moving there in 2016, the US Embassy started publishing hourly air quality data based on readings of particulate concentrations from their nearby monitoring station.

The numbers were shocking.

The reactions I witnessed were possibly more so.

Expats were like, WOW, gross. Bangladeshis were like, DUH, and yes, gross.

That's super generalized, but what troubled me was that both groups generally seemed to think there was nothing that could be done. It was what it was.

It was enough to acknowledge it but not much more. The ethos was to live with it.

Breathe it. Exercise with it. Send the kids to school with it.

Play outside. Go running. Do yoga. Get sick.

Die with it.

Or maybe get lucky.

But, definitely ignore it and continue on with regular life.

I couldn't handle that. I was determined to learn all I could about and find ways to influence action. So I studied and wrote about the science, and formed partnerships to have strong platforms from which to communicate with my target audiences.

To write about the science, I realized I needed to tell the FULL STORY - defining what air pollution is, how is affects the body and the climate, where it comes from, and what can be done about it - in order to reach audiences of size and impact.

These were the necessary components of the story.

I suggest that others working on public education to influence action around air pollution use these components to educate their target audiences and present a springboard of accessible data to drive action.

1) Fine particles. I looked into their composition, size and concentration, and drew out what mattered: fine particles (or PM2.5) are made up of various organic and inorganic compounds (including sulfate, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon), are small enough to pass through our airways into our bloodstream, and are present in the environment at extraordinary high levels for about 6 months each year. I got the best source of data covering five years from the government and mapped the particle concentrations to the air quality index using colors, lines and labels to illustrate the key information.

2) Source apportionment. I dug around A LOT and found the source apportionment studies. I read all the published research about 10 times to make sure I understood it. It was complicated and not well written or presented. But I figured it out. It turned out brick kilns were the largest source and the public didn't know.

3) Health and climate effects. I dug more and found the bottom line data on the health and climate effects. Not as difficult of a dig but important learning.

• Fine particles entering the cardiovascular system, causing inflammation and increasing risk for stroke and heart attack were more likely health effects than asthma or lung cancer. Not common knowledge.

• In addition, black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant that contributes to warming and changing weather patterns, makes up 10-30% of the composition of the harmful particles generated from brick kilns.

4) Solutions. I found the evidence-based solutions - both at the micro level for individual and indoor protection, and at the macro level for policy and technological change. Air purifiers and financing mechanisms for cleaner technology brick production were two of the biggest deal

5) Presentation. I packaged all this information in well-designed reports, summaries, presentations and blogs and spoke to the US State Department, the British High Commission, industry leaders, school boards, teachers, and students. Committees were formed, household and institutional funds were directed to solutions, and momentum was built for industry and policy change.

These products are included here for your review and use in the development of your own case studies and educational materials.

Feel free to reach out if you'd like more information and/or to share what you've done to communicate about air pollution and influence action. I'd love to hear from you: anna@datadesignandwriting.com.

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