Air pollution monitoring and modelling in Sri Lanka

Pictured: Professor Shyamali Dharmage and Dr Gayan Bowatte

A team led by Dr Gayan Bowatte, Allergy and Lung Health Unit (ALHU), Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics (as the principal investigator) was awarded a project grant from National Science Foundation (NSF), Sri Lanka (SLR 4.5 million).  The other investigators are Professor Shyamali Dharmage (ALHU) and other collaborators from Queensland University of Technology, Monash University, University of Queensland, National Institute of Fundamental Studies, Sri Lanka and University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.  Centre for Air pollution energy and health Research (CAR) seed grant awarded in 2018 was used to support the successful NSF grant in 2019.  This project will build an air pollution model using smart sensors in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka, where  air pollution is high.  This will be the first Sri Lankan air pollution Land Use Regression model, which  will be used in future to evaluate air pollution levels in the city and investigate health outcomes caused by air pollution.