By Mingming Liu
Dublin City University
Urban areas are often packed with cars and trucks. While this makes
transportation convenient, it also leads to pollution. The exhaust from
these vehicles contains harmful substances that can hurt our health. For
example, nitrogen oxides can irritate our lungs, carbon monoxide can reduce
oxygen in our blood, and tiny particles can get deep into our lungs and even
our bloodstream.
This is especially concerning for pedestrians and cyclists who are closer to
these pollutants. To make matters worse, living in areas with high pollution
levels can have long-term effects on our health: It can lead to asthma,
allergies, and even cancer.
So, finding ways to reduce exposure to these pollutants is crucial.
Our team of researchers used data analysis to build a database and a
prototype app that's in development.
Our starting point was to explore how real-world data can be applied to
tackle the problem. Specifically, we explored the Google Air Quality
dataset, which was recently made available to the public and contains rich
information about air quality in various places and times in Dublin city.
This data can tell us which areas have cleaner air and which ones have more
pollution. By using this data, we can suggest routes for walkers and bikers
that avoid the worst pollution.
Here is how we do it
Data Collection: We obtain our data from Google's dataset, which is
collaboratively collected by Google and Dublin City Council in Dublin,
Ireland. Google's first electric Street View car outfitted with Aclima's
mobile air sensing platform, traversed Dublin City's streets, meticulously
recording air quality on a street-by-street basis. The data collection
primarily occurred on weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. from May 2021
to August 2022.
Algorithm Creation & Route Optimisation: We develop a computer program that
can take the air quality data and use it to find the healthiest routes for
pedestrians and cyclists. The algorithm considers factors like the time of
day and the distance of the route. Using the algorithm, they suggest
alternative routes to users that have lower pollution levels. This way,
people can choose to take paths that are healthier for them.
User-Friendly Interface: We make sure that the suggestions are easy for
users to understand and follow, so a user-friendly smartphone app is
developed specifically. The Android app uses a map that users can input
where they want to start and finish their trip. Then, it shows the routes
with the shortest distance or the least pollution. Besides, users are
enabled to customise the pollution index to match their preferences to
specific types of pollutants, rather than relying on the default setting.
Performance Evaluation: Finally, we evaluate the efficacy of our developed
algorithm by running statistical experiments. 1,000 trips with random
origin-destination pairs were used to test our system. The results indicate
that our system reduces the impact of air pollution by an average of
approximately 18%, with a maximum reduction of up to 65%. Various suggested
routes for a journey starting near Coombe Hospital on Cork Street and ending
near the National Print Museum on Lansdowne Road in Dublin. Notably, these
routes start to differ noticeably around Donore Avenue.
Here's how the app would change things
By using this approach, people walking or biking in the cities can enjoy
multiple benefits:
Better Health: They can reduce their exposure to harmful pollutants, which
can lead to improved respiratory and cardiovascular health.
Long-Term Wellness: Avoiding pollution can lower the risk of chronic
illnesses like asthma and cancer.
Environmental Impact: Fewer people exposed to pollution means less pollution
overall, which is good for the environment.
Convenience: Users can easily find routes that are both healthy and
convenient for their daily commutes or exercise routines.
Breathing clean air is essential for our health, especially for those who
walk or bike in cities. Pollution from traffic can be harmful, but this
project shows we can use data and smart strategies to make our urban
environments healthier. By leveraging air quality data and suggesting
cleaner routes, we can protect public health, reduce long-term health risks,
and contribute to a cleaner environment. This research offers a promising
solution to the challenge of balancing urban mobility and well-being.
RTÉ News.
