Research
What is a Pollutant?
We breathe in billions of substances every day. Some of them keep us alive, some of them do little to no harm, some do a great deal of harm, sometimes immediately and sometimes over a long period, but there are many about which we have no idea.
My research looks at what work goes into investigating what effect substances we breathe have on the human body and what means they are classified as pollutants or not.
How do we know what we breathe? How do we know what effect it has on our bodies? What do we do in the face of not knowing?
These are questions that affect not only what scientists understand as the relationship between air and health, but how policy makers and the public engage with ideas about what to do.
- Methods. This research was based upon interviews and extensive analysis of media reports, policy documents and outreach materials from advocacy groups.