Dyson engineers worked in conjunction with Children’s Air Pollution Profiles in Africa (CAPPA) , arm of the Achieving Control of Asthma in Children in Africa study led by Queen Mary University London (QMUL) and Imperial College London to understand personal air quality exposure across six African cities.

The Dyson air quality monitoring backpacks was at the heart of this endeavour; the backpack was carried by 297 urban school children aged between 12 and 15 years. with asthma between 21st June and 26th November, 2021. Data was collected from each participating child in Ghana, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe, making it the largest study of its kind. 

• Only 20% of monitored days (227 out of 1109 days) were below the World Health Organisation 24-hour PM2.5 exposure health guideline of 15 μg/m³.
• Highest PM2.5 exposure was monitored at Blantyre, Malawi (median 41.8 µg/m³).
• Factors for higher PM2.5 exposure: presence of smokers at home, use of coal or wood for cooking, and kerosene lamps for lighting.
• Lower PM2.5 exposures found for children who attended schools with paved grounds compared to those with grounds covered with loose dirt.

Find out more about the Dyson backpack project here.

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