HBKU Press Publishes Study about Real-Time Air Pollution in Education City by Weill Cornell

Doha, November 16 (QNA) - Hamad Bin Khalifa University Press (HBKU Press) has recently published the findings of an air pollution study conducted by five students at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), as a part of the Student Research Mentorship Program (SRMP) and in collaboration with Qatar Mobility Improvement Center (QMIC), in its open access journal, QScience Connect, on QScience.com. The study aimed to measure and report on air pollution levels specifically in Education City to assess air pollutions impact on public health and wellbeing. The study, undertaken from March 2019 to March 2020, assessed air quality samples from two locations in Education City during the summer, fall, and winter seasons whereby the researchers developed a method for on-site calibration of air pollution sensors in real time. The study found air pollution levels in Education City to be much lower than those previously reported for other locations in Doha. Based on the results, a widely applicable calibration scheme for two air quality sensors was developed. The findings are of interest to policymakers and public health workers in Qatar and the greater Gulf and MENA region as they seek to mitigate pollution in the naturally arid and dusty climate. "Air pollution is a universal threat to human health and wellbeing which makes real-time air quality monitoring of paramount importance," explained Dr. Mohammad Yousef, an Associate Professor of Physics at WCM-Q and the mentor overseeing the research. "For maximum public health benefits, air pollution monitoring systems should be accurate, robust, and real-time. The findings of this study can support the development of data-driven pollution management policies in the future." The research was funded by the Student Research Mentorship Program (SRMP), which is a unique opportunity for WCM-Q students that generously funds student research initiatives that expose future physicians to research early on in their training. (QNA)