Assessing air quality through citizen science

People’s awareness of air pollution and the associated risks to their health and that of their children has grown significantly over recent years, often informed by local or national campaigns led by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as by media coverage. In some countries, groups of concerned citizens, often supported by NGOs, have taken authorities to court over air quality issues, and the courts have ruled in favour of the right to clean air in several instances. This report provides a non-technical summary of the types of options and tools now available for citizens to measure their local air quality.