Making visible the invisible

Air pollution is largely invisible. Visualizing it requires the application of measurement techniques for the different types of substances that can be found in the air (many types of particles and gasses). The indications give rise to the complexity of interpreting the information in relation to human and environmental health. It is important not to underestimate this complexity. Contributors to the fluctuations in the measurements are human factors (industrial and traffic emissions, woodstoves, barbecues, construction and renovation sites, fireworks, smoke, agricultural activities, intensive cattle holding, aeroplanes, etc.) and nature (fog, seasalt, sand, pollen, fires, volcanic eruptions, wind, air pressure, temperature, chemical reactions in the atmosphere, etc). 

 

Making visible the invisible is more than visualizing possible air pollution and variations. It refers also to human behavior, the impact of government policies, entrepreneurial activities and the level of shared regional commitment to health.