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Self-Portraits of Personal Exposure to Air Pollution: on where and when People Are Exposed, and on why it Is Difficult to Avoid

Autoportraits de l’exposition personnelle à la pollution atmosphérique: où et quand les gens sont exposés, et pourquoi li est difficile de l’éviter

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Abstract

I discuss personal exposure to air pollution through an analysis of the space-time trajectories of seven Brussels residents. Through an activity-based model, I examine how much, when, and where the subjects are exposed to PM2.5 during a typical week. Drawing on social theories of practice, I explore why people become exposed by examining the role of perception and representations of air pollution in organizing a typical week and in considering alternative options. By framing personal exposure as a consequence of the enactment and synchronization of social practices, this research sheds light on how social and ecological processes such as urban planning, energy production, and weather intermingle with the lived experience of individuals and communities to produce specific patterns of pollution exposure. This article is the outcome of a citizen science project conducted in Brussels to test alternative approaches to measure and address outdoor air pollution.

Résumé

J’étudie l’exposition individuelle à la pollution de l’air à travers une analyse des trajectoires spatio-temporelles de sept Bruxellois(es). Grâce à un modèle basé sur les activités, j’examine dans quelle mesure, à quels moments et à quels endroits ces personnes sont exposées aux PM2.5 pendant une semaine type. En m’appuyant sur les théories sociales de la pratique, j’explore les raisons pour lesquelles les individus sont exposés à la pollution de l’air ainsi que le rôle que joue leur perception de la pollution dans l’organisation de leurs activités quotidiennes. En considérant l’exposition personnelle comme une conséquence de la mise en place et de la synchronisation des pratiques sociales, cette recherche met en lumière comment les processus sociaux et écologiques tels que l’urbanisme, la production d’énergie et la météo se mêlent à l’expérience vécue des individus et des communautés pour produire des configurations spécifiques d’exposition à la pollution. Cet article est. le résultat d’un projet de science citoyenne mené à Bruxelles ayant pour but de tester des approches alternatives pour mesurer et traiter la pollution de l’air extérieur.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is the one of the outcomes of a Citizen Science research conducted by the author together with Arnaud Dubois, Cécile Herr, Katia Xenophontos, Lorenzo Glorie, Matthieu Coulonval (Bruxselair). Philippe Jourdain and Paola (pseudonym) have also contributed to the collection of the data and have my gratitude.

I also thank Kobe Boussauw, Evi Dons, Anna Plyushteva, Gordon Walker, and three anonymous reviewers for their useful suggestions, as well as Amy Philips for her technical support in preparing the databases. I am solely responsible for any mistakes and omissions.

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Innoviris (BE) - Grant Number 854919.

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  1. Cosmopolis Centre for Urban Research, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

    Nicola da Schio

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Correspondence to Nicola da Schio.

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da Schio, N. Self-Portraits of Personal Exposure to Air Pollution: on where and when People Are Exposed, and on why it Is Difficult to Avoid. Hum Ecol 48, 465–479 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00176-y

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