By: Vivian McNally, OpenAQ Intern through the Health Effects Institute Summer Fellowship Program
At OpenAQ, we believe that people have the right to know what they breathe. We make it possible for interested parties to access and use trustworthy air quality data from across the globe. Whether it be to stay informed, to educate, to research, or to spread awareness, open data empowers changemakers with the information they need to reduce air quality inequities and advance clean air for all.
Back in 2016, less than a year after OpenAQ was launched, we combed Web of Science for existing research literature and found the 10 most highly-cited large-cohort epidemiological studies on the impact of air pollution on health: at that time 7 out of 10 of them utilized open air quality data provided by government agencies.
We decided to repeat this research, and in 2024, we found that out of the 10 most highly-cited large-cohort, epidemiological studies on the impact of air pollution on health, 9 of them utilized open data. The search query used was “large-cohort” and “particulate matter” on the Web of Science over all time. We classified “large-cohort” as having a sample size greater than 99,000 and limited our analysis to primary research, omitting meta-analysis studies.
These epidemiological studies provide the fundamental scientific foundation that underpins national and international policies and guidelines on air quality and public health. The fact that they use open air quality data testifies to its importance.
Open data paves the way for scientific research to be conducted within the air quality community.
A majority of the open data was provided by governmental parties: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, and the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) project. In addition, cited in 2 out of 10 of the articles was GEOS-Chem, a global 3-D chemical transport model by the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling Group at Harvard University. GEOS-Chem is driven by meteorological data from NASA’s Goddard Earth Observing system (GEOS) and is a grassroots, open-access model owned by its users.
When air quality data is made open, scientists can produce invaluable research products, and everyone can get involved in increasing understanding and awareness, and developing and advocating for solutions to air pollution. Open data are an essential tool to ensure everyone’s right to breathe clean air.
To view open data on OpenAQ, visit OpenAQ Explorer. For programmatic access, use our API.
