Environmental Justice: Communities in the struggle for clean air

In the tireless quest for a healthier environment, air quality stands out as a crucial battleground in the struggle for environmental justice. Communities, especially those near industrial and traffic-heavy areas, are on the front lines of this struggle, enduring daily the harmful effects of air pollution. This article focuses on the science and technological tools empowering communities and experts to monitor, understand and act against air pollution.

Air quality and community health

The quality of the air we breathe is directly associated with our health and well-being. Industries and traffic emit harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) in addition to fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) that can penetrate deep into the lungs and from there into the bloodstream, causing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. These emissions can vary significantly from day to day and street to street, affecting air quality and thus public health.
For example, exposure to these pollutants is of particular concern in and around schools because children are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution. Schools should be safe shrines for learning and development. However, proximity to busy roads and industrial areas can compromise the air quality our children breathe, both inside and outside the classroom as these affect indoor and outdoor air quality.
Therefore, accurate, real-time air quality monitoring is essential to understand and mitigate these impacts.

Pollution source identification and control

Air pollution sources include anthropogenic sources such as road traffic, industrial emissions, construction sites, demolitions, landfills or sewage treatment plants along with air pollution sources that are of natural origin, such as volcanoes or forest fires. The incidence of forest fires is increasing in frequency due to climate change and significantly contributing to the degradation of air quality. Identifying air pollution sources is a critical first step in implementing effective control and mitigation strategies.
Effective air quality management requires the availability of accurate, real-time data. Air quality sensors, such as those developed by Kunak, have revolutionised environmental monitoring by providing reliable and consistent measurements of multiple pollutants simultaneously and in real-time.
This is achieved with reduced maintenance and excellent cost-effectiveness.
Kunak systems incorporate a warning system that sends alerts when certain pollution levels are exceeded so that communities, industry occupational health and safety officers, and local authorities can take preventive or corrective actions. This is crucial for effective public health protection.
 

Air pollution effects on communities

Air pollution does not distinguish between socio-economic or ethnic differences, but the most disadvantaged communities suffer a higher burden of its negative consequences. Poor air quality not only affects human health and reduces quality of life, but it also disrupts natural habitats, damages biodiversity and contributes to wider environmental challenges such as exacerbating climate change.
The environmental justice movement leads efforts to remediate polluted air and ultimately promote wider well-being for both people and the planet. In a historic move, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order in 2021, establishing that 40% of the benefits from federal investments in clean energy and climate projects should directly benefit communities affected by environmental injustices.
Differences in air quality are clear in certain urban areas where residents suffer elevated exposure to airborne pollutants causing health problems such as i.e. asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Some authorities have regulations to address these problems, but these measures must be strengthened to achieve real environmental justice. The lack of green areas and low rainfall in cities contribute to the accumulation of pollutants, worsening air quality for those living in urban environments.

The role of governments

The concept of environmental justice is based on the essential idea that all individuals deserve to be safe from the harms and dangers that affect the environment. Many nations have established specific legal frameworks and agreements to ensure their inhabitants enjoy a cleaner and healthier environment.
On the European continent, anyone perceiving that an activity is damaging the environment has procedural safeguards that allow them to obtain information, assess the environmental impact or get involved in decision-making processes. If the efforts to be heard fail at the regional or national level, legal action under European directives can be used to defend their rights. Individually or as a group, it is possible to take legal action before the EU’s regional, national and judicial authorities.
Non-governmental organisations dedicated to the defence of the environment have a special status when they complain about actions that harm the environment such as Greenpeace, Earth Island Institute, Earth Justice, Environmental Defense Fund and many other. These organisations are fundamental to society and the safeguarding of the environment, acting as guardians of nature.
The United States stands out as the first country in the world to federally recognise environmental justice and ensure that all communities receive equal protection from environmental harms. There’s some evidence of the environmental justice movement starting in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement but the it didn’t really pick up speed until the 1980s. The movement arose as a result of local conflicts, where communities, often poor and with high proportions of ethnic minorities, protested against the installation of toxic waste dumps and pollution generated by industries in their areas. This commitment for environmental justice is reflected in the Justice40 initiative, which relies on an analytical tool to detect inequalities in climate and economic justice.
Governments play a crucial role in improving air quality through the regulations and policies they implement, such as the recent EU Air Quality Directive, which is responsible for setting and enforcing standards restricting the pollutants released into the atmosphere. Such legal regulations are vital to preserve clean air and reduce air pollution. However, these regulations will only be effective in improving air quality if they are uniformly applied and rigorously enforced globally.
Additionally, it is essential to promote public awareness of the importance of clean air. Through education and awareness campaigns, governments can help the population understand the dangers of inhaling polluted air and the actions that can be taken to protect themselves.
In addition, national governments, through national policies and international environmental agreements, can promote the use of cleaner technologies and renewable energies to minimise the emission of air pollutants.
In areas of high pollution, mainly in Europe, it is the responsibility of governments to take stronger measures to improve air quality. This may include limiting activities that generate high pollution, such as coal burning, or imposing restrictions on factories with high emissions that deteriorate air quality.
 

Technology in the service of the air

Accurate air quality measurement is the key to effective decision-making. Reliable, real-time data enables a rapid response to critical situations, protecting the health of citizens and guiding efficient public policies.
Modern technology provides us with advanced tools for the detection and analysis of air quality. Early warning systems are vital to prevent exposure to dangerous levels of pollutants. These systems provide communities with information about the levels of multiple pollutants, allowing timely preventive and corrective actions to be taken in case any of these pollutants reach dangerous levels.
Understanding meteorology helps to predict and control the dispersion of these pollutants. Weather patterns have a significant influence on the dispersion of air pollutants and meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, pressure, precipitation, wind speed and direction are fundamental to understanding and managing air quality in our cities. Properly incorporating and understanding these meteorological factors is key to making the right strategic decisions in regards to the dispersion of pollutants.

Measurement innovation

Instruments such as the Kunak AIR Pro and Kunak AIR Lite, recognised in the market for their accuracy and reliability, are essential tools in the fight for clean air. These devices provide near-reference data and allow air quality monitoring on a hyper-local scale. Additionally, each instrument can be fitted with various probes to collect meteorological data which helps provide a global view of air quality, accurately reporting on the levels of pollutants and their behaviour.
The deployment of such sensor networks in communities allows for detailed street-by-street pollution monitoring, identifying pollution sources that negatively affect air quality.
These strategically distributed sensors provide a comprehensive view of air quality, empowering communities with accurate information about the air that citizens breathe and to develop effective mitigation strategies.

Kunak, a standard of excellence

Certification of monitoring instruments ensures the validity of the collected data. In countries such as the United States, the use of certified equipment is a prerequisite for regulatory compliance which enforces the responsibility of industries to protect air quality.
Kunak sensors are acknowledged for their low intra-model variability and their ability to provide data traceable back to reference standards. These features are useful in the U.S. for industries to monitor emissions using certified equipment to minimize their environmental impact.
Advanced platforms for air quality data analysis are essential. These tools enable visualisation and detailed analysis of data, making it easier to make informed decisions for air quality improvement. The Kunak AIR Cloud air quality software includes several must-have tools for collecting, visualising and analysing sensor data. This makes it easier to make the right decisions, optimise production processes and ultimately protect the health of both workers and neighbouring communities.
The Kunak AIR Cloud also provides public web tools such as a website, widgets and an application programming interface (API) which are required by authorities and communities for democratising information on air quality. In this way, everyone has access to this air quality information collected by Kunak instruments.
We can consider that there is a commitment by the authorities to defend environmental justice and protect the health of communities when information on air quality is reliable, accurate, in real time and, above all, accessible to all. The next step is to ensure that all citizens have access to clean, healthy air.

Moving towards environmental justice

The democratisation of air quality data is an essential step towards environmental justice. Universal access to accurate, real-time data enables communities and governments to take informed action, fighting for a future where clean air is a right for all.
Reliable and accurate air quality data is imperative for achieving environmental justice. By empowering communities with the necessary technology and data, we can play an active role in protecting the environment and our health.
The fight for clean air is the right to claim a healthy environment for everyone, everywhere. It is time to take a deep breath and act for change.