A new resource designed to allow primary children to investigate atmospheric pollution using Defra’s Air Quality Archive

Air quality is an area of worldwide concern. Scientific research in this area can provide incredible stimulus to primary school children, their teachers, parents, carers and other stakeholders, and empower them and their families to make informed choices about modes of transport and reducing their exposure to pollutants. The UK Air Quality Data Archive of current and historic air pollution measurements from across the country is enormous, containing over 400,000,000 datapoints.
This paper explains how older primary children can engage with these data and even learn about the air pollution in their local area through data mining. A freely available resource has been created in collaboration between atmospheric scientists and teachers to allow this to happen and to explain the science behind it.