Five students under the Student Research Mentorship Program at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar collaborated with Qatar Mobility Improvement Center (QMIC) to conduct a study on air pollution in Education City.

Published by HBKU press, the goal of the study was to measure and assess the level and impact of air pollution on public health and wellbeing. Samples were collected and assessed from two locations in Education City during summer, fall, and winter seasons whereby the researchers developed a method for on-site calibration of air pollution sensors in real-time.

The study found air pollution levels in Education City to be much lower than those previously reported for other locations in Doha. Based on the results, a widely applicable calibration scheme for two air quality sensors was developed.

“At HBKU Press, we aim to support local researchers that evaluate pertinent issues related to a wide variety of topics, including public health,” explains Dr. Rima Isaifan, Head of Academic and Journals Publishing at HBKU Press. “By publishing articles about topical issues without barriers to subscriptions and in open access journals like QScience Connect, local researchers are provided a global platform on which to reach international audiences and local research is made available on global indexing services. In this way, HBKU Press provides a platform for participating in the wider knowledge economy and global exchange of ideas and information.”

The findings are of interest to policymakers and public health workers in Qatar and the greater Gulf and MENA region as they seek to mitigate pollution in the naturally arid and dusty climate.

“Air pollution is a universal threat to human health and wellbeing which makes real-time air quality monitoring of paramount importance,” explains Dr. Mohammad Yousef, an Associate Professor of Physics at WCM-Q and the mentor overseeing the research. “For maximum public health benefits, air pollution monitoring systems should be accurate, robust, and real-time. The findings of this study can support the development of data-driven pollution management policies in the future.” 

WCM-Q’s Student research Mentorship Program funds various research initiatives for students and enables them to formulate research questions, carry out research, and submit a written report with the help of accomplished and experienced mentors.

For more information on the study, please visit www.Qscience.com  

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