Learn How One Visual Artist Makes Air Pollution Stunningly Visible & Forefront in our Fight to Keep the World’s Air Clean…
We are excited to announce that BBC News recently released a fascinating article about how a visual artist, Marina Vitaglione, has used traditional photographic techniques to produce “otherworldly” images created by samples of London’s air pollution. In the UK, the Environmental Research Group at ICL gathers upwards of 70 Million air-pollutant measurements a year across the southeast of England using Met One’s air quality monitor, the BAM 1020.
“It’s a real challenge to share our understanding of the mostly invisible threat [air pollution] is to our health with the public. For this reason, we love to work with visual artists like Marina Vitaglione.” – Professor Frank Kelly BBC News
The BAM 1020 is the only beta-attenuation PM air quality analyzer sold in the United Kingdom, attributable to Met One Instruments, Inc.’s reputation for precision. We are thrilled to see visual art created with the help of our instruments to raise awareness about air pollution and the reality this threat poses to our collective health.
“My aim was to make the invisible visible and show the issue in a new way to raise awareness of it.” – Marina Vitaglione BBC News
📋 AIR POLLUTION FACTS
➡️ Did you know that the World Health Organization estimates that air pollution is the culprit of the untimely deaths of seven million people worldwide every year?
➡️ The government in the United Kingdom has recognized that air pollution is their top environmental risk to public health, placing fourth overall after cancer, heart disease, and obesity.
➡️ In December 2020, for the first time in recorded history, a coroner found air pollution to be the cause of the death of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debra, a nine-year-old girl that lived in Lewisham.
➡️ During the first UK lockdowns due to the Pandemic, air pollution levels fell to historic lows since recordings began in 2000.
➡️ ICL research has found that lead from petrol persists in London’s air despite being banned in 1999.
➡️ Unfortunately, now statistics show that road traffic pollution has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels because many are also avoiding public transportation and opting to drive instead. This has been reflected in countries across the globe.
➡️ Did you know that air pollution is a known factor in respiratory conditions such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, and new evidence is being reported that it is also linked to cognitive disease such as dementia?
💡 HOW DID MARINA VITAGLIONE CREATE VISUAL ART WITH AIR POLLUTION SAMPLES COLLECTED BY THE BAM-1020?
Marina Vitaglione worked with scientists from the London Air Quality Network and was given access to air samples from across the United Kingdom. These air samples were taken with Met One’s beta-attenuation monitor, the BAM 1020, which utilizes paper tape to collect airborne particulate. Once collected, Marina photographed the paper tape samples through a microscope.
Vitaglione also digitally enlarged other samples through Raman spectroscopy. This technique measures the intensity and wavelength of scattered light from molecules.
“I chose this technique because it allowed the Sun to reveal the toxic particles on the paper and in this way to be part of the print. On an aesthetic level, the cyan-blue tone of cyanotypes reminds me of pure cloudless skies, contrasting with the vision of grey clouds we have when we think of air pollution.” – Marina Vitaglione BBC News
Read the full article about Marina Vitaglione’s air pollution awareness visual art project in the BBC News Article. Remember to check back here at metone.com “News & Projects” to get the latest information and up-to-date articles about air pollution, collective air quality, and what we can do together to safeguard the air we all breathe.
🔍 Would You Like More Information?
🔗 Learn About the MOI BAM 1020
🔗 BBC Article “London Air Pollution Turned into Art to Raise Awareness”