'Big blow' for pollution research as US stops sharing air quality data from embassies worldwide
Reliable data from US embassies and consulates has been essential for air quality monitoring in cities around the world.
The US government will stop sharing air quality data gathered from its embassies and consulates, worrying local scientists and experts who say the effort was vital to monitor global air quality and improve public health.
In response to an inquiry from The Associated Press, the State Department said Wednesday that its air quality monitoring program would no longer transmit air pollution data from embassies and consulates to the Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow app and other platforms. This previously allowed locals in various countries, along with scientists, to see and analyse air quality in cities around the world.
The stop in data sharing was “due to funding constraints that have caused the Department to turn off the underlying network” according to the statement. The State Department added that embassies and consulates were directed to keep their monitors running and the sharing of data could resume in the future if funding were restored.
The fiscal cut, first reported by the New York Times, is one of many under President Donald Trump, whose administration has been deprioritising environmental and climate initiatives.
The US air quality monitors measured dangerous fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and lead to respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and premature death. The World Health Organisation estimates that air pollution kills around 7 million people each year.
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News of the data sharing being cut prompted immediate reaction from scientists who said the data were reliable, allowed for air quality monitoring around the world and helped prompt governments to clean up the air.
'A big blow' to global air quality researchBhargav Krishna, an air pollution expert at New Delhi-based Sustainable Futures Collaborative, called the loss of data “a big blow” to air quality research.
“They were part of a handful of sensors in many developing countries and served as a reference for understanding what air quality was like,” Krishna said. “They were also seen to be a well-calibrated and unbiased source of data to cross-check local data if there were concerns about quality.”
“It’s a real shame”, said Alejandro Piracoca Mayorga, a Bogota, Colombia-based freelance air quality consultant. US embassies and consulates in Lima, Peru, Sao Paulo and Bogota have proved a valuable source of information.
“It was a source of access to air quality information independent of local monitoring networks. They provided another source of information for comparison.”
Khalid Khan, an environmental expert and advocate based in Pakistan, agreed, saying the shutdown of air quality monitoring will “have significant consequences.”
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