Diputació de Barcelona
Entorn urbà i salut
 
Tools to incorporate the health perspective in municipal actions
 

Protocol MonitorAire NO₂

Diputació de Barcelona, Institut de Salut Global de Barcelona
2026

Link to the resource: https://www.diba.cat/documents/d/entorn-urba-i-salut/monitoraireno2-protocol

Format:
Guide
Target population:
Local administrations, citizen associations and general population
Objetive:

Provide materials and instructions to develop a local citizen science project for the assessment and modelling of NO2 in urban environments.

Methodology:

This citizen science project is developed through a collaborative approach with participants and is structured into four sequential phases, each linked to a session with the community:

  • Phase 1: Participatory diagnosis and co-design of the research question.
  • Phase 2: Mapping and deployment of the NO2 measurement tubes.
  • Phase 3: Recording, collection and submission of the tubes for analysis.
  • Phase 4: Participatory interpretation of the results and identification of local problems, causes, and possible solutions.
Opportunities and limitations:
  • Includes the methodological guide, technical protocol, and materials required to replicate the study without prior experience.
  • The pilot study enabled the identification of operational challenges and the incorporation of preventive measures and improvement actions.
  • Citizen participation in defining research questions and measurement sites, collecting data, and interpreting results, contributing to education and awareness of air pollution.
  • The monitoring method does not provide information on daily variations or peak NO2 concentration days/hours, it provides an average value over the 2–4-week period when tubes are deployed.
Indicators:
Knowledge, perceptions and interests of the population regarding the effects of air pollution on health.
Average NO2 concentration.
Positioning of NO₂ samplers on the city map.
Feasibility level of citizen monitoring campaigns.
Thematic:
Public space
Link to health:
Physical
Scale of the field of study:
Housing / street / building / bounded public space Block - set of buildings or spaces Neighbourhood (or higher)
Implementation phase:
Diagnosis / pre-project Implementation Monitoring and evaluation
Methodological approach:
Observation Qualitative / Participatory