Southern Air Project - scientific efforts to monitor and measure the impacts of air pollution in southern Brazil

Air pollution is responsible for illness and death of millions of people worldwide annually and has strong impacts on the economy and society. Large cities typically have more robust and effective air quality monitoring coverage, however, less populated cities need to rely on monitoring via satellite data or low-cost sensors. Additionally, global and national study hotspots are megacities and highly industrialized regions, and the Southern Air Project aims to broaden the focus on the impact on populations in less populated areas. This article describes the initiatives of the Southern Air Project, aimed at providing data on air pollution and its health effects in small and medium-sized cities in southern Brazil. A significant portion of the air pollutant data used in the project originates from satellite information, low-cost sensors, passive samplers, and data provided by enterprises. These data have been used to understand the levels, dynamics and human health impacts of air pollutants in cities that do not have well-established monitoring networks and, consequently, are less studied. In addition to research initiatives, the project engages in community actions with the aim of informing about the risks of exposure to air pollution and the role of citizens in demanding quality air from public managers.