In Brief

The Challenge

Air pollution is the leading environmental health risk in Ireland, causing 1,300 premature deaths and a range of severe diseases each year. Children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing medical condition are most at risk from polluted air. 

People are often unaware of how harmful air pollution is, whether air quality in their neighbourhood is good or bad, and what actions to take to avoid polluting the air or to avoid breathing polluted air themselves. 

We need communication strategies that can make air pollution visible and relevant to individuals and communities. Strategies that highlight the link between behaviour and air pollution would empower people to pollute less, breathe cleaner air, and improve both their own health and that of their communities. 

The Solution

People need convenient, personalised and timely information that they can act upon to avoid activities that add to air pollution, or those that expose them to polluted air.  

The BEHAV-I-AIR team will work with community groups to co-create engaging and effective messages around air quality alerts. These messages will be combined with air quality forecasts and timely information and advice that engages people and encourages healthy behaviours. 

We will establish a Clean Air Living Lab in Cork to develop, refine and assess the effectiveness of the air quality forecasting and communication model with the public. This model will then be scaled up to a national level to create a network of Clean Air Communities. 

The Team 

  • Team Lead: Dr Marica Cassarino, University College Cork 
  • Team Co-Lead: Dr Dean Venables, University College Cork  

Societal Impact Champion  

  • Dr Kevin Ryan, Cork City Council