Air quality technology firm EarthSense says its Zephyr® air quality monitors will be deployed by Cranfield University at various sites across Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, as part of a wider £2.5 million DEFRAG project.
The Defragmenting the fragmented urban landscape (DEFRAG) project is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and runs until November 2026. Scientists, including experts from Cranfield University, are studying green spaces, blue spaces and urban infrastructures and how these fragmented parts interlink and impact on air quality, biodiversity and water management. DEFRAG will be identifying barriers to a greener infrastructure and delivering new knowledge on how urban planning impacts on biodiversity. The information will be used to design healthier and more resilient towns and cities in the future.
Cranfield University will install the Zephyr® air quality monitors across various greenspaces in Bedford, Milton Keynes and Luton which have nearby sources of pollution from roads. The monitors will measure pollutants including NO, NO2, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, CO and CO2 over a 6-12 month period to help researchers better understand the impact of green infrastructure on air quality.
Dr Zaheer Nasar, Reader in Atmospheric Aerosols at Cranfield University said: “We have deployed Zephyrs® from EarthSense for previous air quality projects so they were the obvious choice when we were looking for monitors for air quality measurements as a part of the DEFRAG project. These monitors will measure the concentrations of air pollutants over time and across different seasons and the data collected will help us understand how various types of green spaces in urban areas affect and potentially reduce air pollution.”
Professor Ronald Corstanje, Professor of Data Sciences and Head of the Cranfield Environment Centre at Cranfield University said: “The findings from DEFRAG will be valuable in informing urban planning and policy, ensuring that the ways in which we build our cities in the future are healthy and resilient.”
Greg Lewis, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at EarthSense, added: “We’re delighted that we will be able to continue our relationship with Cranfield University by delivering Zephyr® monitors that will support the air quality monitoring for the DEFRAG project. The project promises to be a major step forward in establishing a greater understanding of the mechanisms through which green spaces impact the air quality in the area.”
In addition to Cranfield University, other partners for the DEFRAG project include the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Sheffield University, The Alan Turing Institute and stakeholders across Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes.
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