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Table 3 Overview of included studies

From: Engaging communities in addressing air quality: a scoping review

Study title

Study location

Study population

Study aim

Type/source of air pollution

Main approach used

Ref(s)

Citizen science

 A Day in the Life

Los Angeles, California, USA

Young people aged 15–17 years (n = 18)

Increase environmental health literacy, collect community owned data and promote awareness about air pollution exposure to young people

Indoor and outdoor; multiple

Air quality monitoring

[49]

 Air Pollution Assessment in Sheffield

Sheffield, England, UK

Groups of community, environmental, health and business representatives from the local area (n = 6)

Explore how focus groups can enable citizens to be involved in local AQ assessment

Outdoor; multiple

Air quality mapping

[50]

 AirBeat project

Roxbury, Massachusetts, USA

Children from 3 schools (n = 75); community groups and local residents

Describe and analyse the project from the perspective of community-based participants

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Air quality monitoring

[35]

 Citizen Sense Kit: Just good enough data

Pennsylvania, USA

Local residents (n = 30)

Demonstrate that citizen-gathered data can have other uses beyond regulatory comparison and compliance

Outdoor; hydraulic fracking

Air quality monitoring

[51]

 Community-empowered AQ Monitoring System

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Community members (n = 83)

Explore the use of scientific knowledge in citizen empowerment via information technology

Outdoor; industrial activity

Air quality monitoring

[52]

 Creating environmental consciousness in underserved communities

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Local residents—community action team training (n = 24); workshop (n = 72)

Increase knowledge and understanding of AQ issues within the community and facilitate solutions to the problem

Indoor and outdoor; multiple

Air quality monitoring

[53]

 CurieuzeNeuzen Project

Antwerp, Belgium

Local citizens (n = 1;840); schools (n = 51); hospitals (n = 10; companies (n = 45); other organisations (n = 15)

Examine if participation make citizens more aware of AQ risks and influences their behaviour, and whether the data is acknowledged and used by policy-makers

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Air quality monitoring

[54]

 Drift Catcher Participatory Air Monitoring Program

Multiple areas across the USA affected by pesticide drift

Pesticide Action Network representatives (n = 5); Drift Catcher project leaders (n = 2); community members (n = 10)

Understand lay involvement in technically complex participatory science projects

Outdoor; pesticide drift

Air quality monitoring

[44]

 Improving the Smart Control of Air Pollution in Europe (iSCAPE)

Guildford, England, UK

Local citizens – quiz (n = 140); workshop (n = 25)

Demonstrate that citizen science can be used to enhance public understanding of AQ by engaging communities and stakeholders

Indoor and outdoor; multiple

Air quality monitoring

[55]

 Participatory modelling and local governance of UK AQ

Bristol & York, England, UK

Local citizens

Capture and analyse lay understandings of spatially related environmental issues

Outdoor; multiple

Air quality modelling

[48, 56,57,58]

 Participatory photo-mapping and regional transportation policy

Dane County, Wisconsin, USA

Children aged approx. 11 years (n = 9); Adult residents (n = 12)

Understand the role of community-based advocacy in advancing public health concerns in transportation planning

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Air quality mapping

[45]

 Participatory testing and reporting: A pilot project

Worcester, Massachusetts, USA

Residential homes (n = 14)

Pilot a participatory testing and reporting programme, aimed at enabling future community-based AQ monitoring

Indoor & outdoor; multiple

Air quality monitoring

[32]

 Smart Citizens Lab

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Local citizens

Analyse experiences from using citizen sensing to improve urban AQ monitoring

Outdoor; multiple

Air quality monitoring

[34]

 The Imperial County Community Air Monitoring Network

Imperial County, California, USA

Network of community members (n = 19); high-school students as interns (n = 29)

Educate communities about local AQ, and generate data to find pollution hotspots and trends

Outdoor; multiple

Air quality monitoring, education and training

[41, 59,60,61]

 The Northern California Household Exposure study

Richmond & Bolinas, California, USA

Residential homes (n = 50)

Compare an industrial and non-industrial community in an air pollution exposure study

Indoor; emissions from oil refineries

Air quality monitoring

[31]

 West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT)

Harlem, New York, USA

Young people aged 14–17 years (n = 17)

Describe how place-based research and action can contribute to broader policy and change

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Air quality monitoring

[36]

 Youth Empowerment and Woodsmoke Photovoice study

Washington, USA

Young people aged 13–17 years (n = 10)

Understand youth engagement and empowerment in air sampling and photovoice

Indoor; woodsmoke from stoves

Air quality monitoring

[42, 43]

Environmental/health assessment

 Community Action Against Asthma

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Children aged 7–11 years diagnosed with moderate to severe asthma (n = 3;000)

Assess the effects of AQ on asthma in children, and test interventions to reduce exposure to environmental triggers

Indoor and outdoor; multiple

Health assessment, air quality monitoring

[37, 62, 63]

 Environmental Railyard Research Impacting Community Health (ENRRICH)

San Bernardino, California, USA

School community at two comparative schools

Share lessons learned from a partnership assessing respiratory health for children living and attending school near a railyard

Outdoor; railyard

Health assessment, educational theatrical production

[39]

 Metal Air Pollution Partnership

Houston, Texas, USA

Local residents – interviews (n = 9); focus groups (n = 6); surveys (n = 375)

Engage communities affected by metal air pollution and build collaboration between relevant stakeholders to develop solutions

Outdoor; metal from recycling plant

Environmental assessment, air quality monitoring

[40]

 Wabamun Community Exposure and Health Effects Assessment Programme

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Local residents (permanent and seasonal); local community interest groups; aboriginal people

Examine stakeholder relations and risk communication issues, when investigating health effects related to exposure

Outdoor; industrial activity

Health assessment, community surveys

[64]

 Wichita Initiative to Renew the Environment (WIRE)

Wichita, Kansas, USA

Community members—WIRE (n = 25); discussion groups (n = 1;500)

Establish a community-based initiative to identify community environmental concerns

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Environmental assessment, educational campaign

[30]

Education and training

 Cincinnati Anti-Idling Campaign (CAIC)

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

School community at local public schools

Develop an anti-idling campaign to decrease children’s exposure to air pollution and reduce asthma morbidity

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Educational campaign, air quality monitoring

[33]

 Visualising Air Pollution in a Chinese Immigrant Community

Boston Chinatown, Massachusetts, USA

Young people aged 16–17 years (n = 9); working age adults (n = 21)

Develop and test an intervention to communicate with and empower a community to take action on air pollution

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Interactive pollution map, workshop

[65]

Policy review and development

 A Case Study of the City of Houston’s Bureau of AQ Control

Houston, Texas, USA

Local residents

Describe Houston’s journey through four levels of public involvement

Indoor and outdoor; multiple

AQ concern reporting system, neighbourhood canvassing

[47]

 ClairCity Project

Multiple European countries

Local citizens

Understand the causes of poor AQ and enable citizens to review policies to shape future cities

Outdoor; multiple

Online game, workshop

[66]

 Clean Air Task Force

Denver, Colorado, USA

Local citizens

Describe the role of a citizen task force in providing citizens with the opportunity to influence a state AQ implementation plan

Outdoor; multiple

Community task force, workshops

[46]

 System dynamics and environmental decisions

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Advisory group including community residents (n = 30)

Develop policy recommendations to address worsening traffic congestion and regional AQ

Outdoor; traffic-related emissions

Air quality modelling, advisory group

[67]