Ozone biomonitoring: A versatile tool for citizen science
(1) Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; (2) University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia, Piazza della Vittoria 15, 27100, Pavia, Italy; (3) BI-Lab Research for Environment, Via dell’Unione 30, 00053, Civitavecchia (RM), Italy
The wide diffusion of tropospheric ozone is a major environmental problem in urban areas as well as in rural and remote localities. Its increasing man-related levels are connected to severe impacts on human life and welfare, in terms of adverse health effects, damage to manufacts and injury to plants. Biological monitoring is a powerful tool for filling the gap between the causes and the effects of environmental toxic compounds, as bioindication agents may assess in an easy-to-detect process the effects of pollution on (selected) biota. A citizen science project was launched in 2023 to involve some 20 students (ages 11-16) and 20 teachers/stakeholders (ages 40-70) from one school in Southern Italy in biodetection of ozone effects hypersensitive plant Nicotiana tabacum Bel-W3. The entire campaign lasted two weeks (27 April - 11 May 2023) and consisted of two successive exposure of fresh kits of indicator plants. Results implied the reading of 800 biological data (ozone injury on cotyledons) and were fortified by data captured by one automatic analyser (400 raw data of hourly means). Biological and chemical data were compared favourably and treated with statistical methods. Under the guidance of experts (researchers) and their teachers, the students had several opportunities to practice with many basic and applied study areas and disciplines and were initiated into the scientific method in a simple and absorbing manner. However, after a primarily educational training, the survey provided sound research elements and the picture of pollution that emerged has increased the knowledge and awareness of air quality in the area. Biomonitoring is confirmed to be a powerful tool to involve young people and citizens in environmental topics.
Keywords: air quality, atmospheric pollution, participatory monitoring, community science, Nicotiana tabacum Bel-W3, human welfare
