They can't see it, but they can measure it: Students investigate air pollution – and why it matters

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — When wildfire smoke drifted into the Lehigh Valley this summer, 11-year-old Amma knew the air smelled bad. She didn't know much else.

Now, while taking part in Da Vinci Science Center's inaugural Summer Research Institute, she's learning to measure the air around her – and hopes others will pay closer attention to the invisible pollutants that can affect their health.

"I want to be a researcher, and I want to learn more about science," Amma said. "We're learning about air pollution and ways to stop it."

The new program places middle school students in the role of environmental researchers, collecting and analyzing air quality data while exploring how pollution affects neighborhoods across the Lehigh Valley.

The institute comes as air quality has become an increasingly visible concern in the region. The Lehigh Valley has experienced multiple "Code Purple" days and other poor air quality days in recent years, driven by a combination of wildfire smoke, summer ozone and local pollution sources. 

The area also has repeatedly ranked among the nation's most challenging places to live with asthma.

The research institute is part of The Air We Share, a national initiative created by biopharma company Sanofi in partnership with the Association of Science and Technology Centers. Its goal is to help young people understand the relationship between air quality and respiratory health through hands-on science.

“We wanted to make people aware of it so they could better understand the air they breathe and make informed decisions to protect their health," said Phillip St. James, Sanofi's director of corporate social responsibility and community relations.

One challenge, he said, is convincing people to care about something they can't readily see.

"You can't see it, taste it or smell it, unless it's something like smoke from a wildfire," St. James said. "It's just something that is there, and it's very harmful."

As part of the program, students deployed simple air-pollution monitors coated with petroleum jelly to capture airborne particles at different locations. They then examined the samples, comparing how pollution levels varied from place to place.

Some of the results surprised them.

Caylee, 13, expected a monitor placed near busy traffic to collect the most particles.

"I put mine near a stop sign where all the cars were, so I was expecting it to be really, really dirty," she said. "But [others were] dirtier than mine."

Those findings opened discussions about wind patterns, weather and other environmental factors that influence where pollutants accumulate.

Mikayla, 10, said learning about the health impacts changed how she thinks about air pollution.

"We have a lot of these big factories that emit smoke into the air that's making the air pollution worse," she said. "I hope everybody takes away from this that air pollution is not good, and I want to find a way to stop it so everyone can be healthy."

Students also brainstormed practical solutions, from walking, biking and using public transportation to creating cleaner places where people with respiratory illnesses can spend time when pollution levels rise.

St. James said the initiative focuses heavily on under supported communities, where neighborhoods often have fewer trees and greater exposure to heat and pollution.

"When you don't have a good tree canopy, and the heat causes issues as well, you're getting double hit," he said. "If you're not aware, you don't know what to do."

One of the project's biggest surprises, he said, has been discovering that indoor air quality can sometimes be worse than outdoor air.

"People think they're safe when they go indoors, and you're really not if you're not doing the proper things to help filter the air that you're breathing indoors," he said, pointing to inexpensive steps such as properly fitting furnace filters and improving home ventilation.

The Da Vinci Science Center's program also aims to show students that scientific research isn't limited to laboratories.

"I hope everyone takes away that air pollution is not good," Mikayla said. "Children are our future, so we don't want them to get sick."

Sanofi launched The Air We Share at science centers across the country earlier this year and is using the first round of programs to build what St. James called a "proof of concept" before expanding the initiative.

As students complete their research, their findings will be shared through community presentations and online resources intended to help residents better understand local air quality and ways to reduce their exposure to harmful pollutants.

For Amma, the biggest lesson has been realizing that protecting the air people breathe starts with understanding it.

"I didn't really know anything," she said of air pollution before participating in the program. "I just knew it was bad for you."