Urban road traffic is a major source of pollutants such as nitrogen and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which lead to above-average exposure among cyclists and pedestrians due to their proximity to busy roads. Whilst particulate matter can have serious consequences ranging from asthma to cancer and cardiopulmonary diseases, and is statistically responsible for 20–30% of all cases of illness, specific exposure data for these groups has been lacking up to now. The current WHO recommendation for lower thresholds for particulate matter underscores the urgency of the matter, as many cities already exceed these limits.
The aim of the project is to determine the actual amount of particulate matter inhaled by cyclist and pedestrians. Therefore it combines local concentration data on particulate matter with individual breathing volumes. By developing a smartphone app that functions as a digital particulate matter dosimeter, the data will be verified and used to calculate the specific health risk for cyclists and pedestrians and to derive measures to reduce this exposure through optimised infrastructure.