The Living Lab for Air Quality is a collaboration between the Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS), the Centre for Environmental Modelling and Computation (CEMAC), the Sustainability Service and the Institute for Transport Studies (ITS) at the University of Leeds.

Poor air quality causes both respiratory and cardiovascular health problems, and has been linked with conditions such as strokes and dementia. In the UK, exposure to particulate pollution and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are thought to cause around 40,000 premature deaths a year, with 700 of these in Leeds itself. Like many UK cities, annual mean concentrations of NO₂ in several locations in Leeds exceed the legally binding EU limit of 40 ug m^-3.

Leeds has two air quality monitoring stations that are part of the national Defra network (here and here) and several stations operated by Leeds City Council. However, our knowledge of air quality in and around the University of Leeds campus, and how it varies, is poor.

During the first year of the Living Lab for Air Quality we conducted regular monitoring with volunteer staff and students to map the levels of pollution on the University of Leeds campus. Head to the CEMAC website for our latest map.