With tens of thousands of datasets available through various open government portals, there are countless opportunities for companies to harness this information to improve our world. Often, the first challenge to overcome is finding data that can help solve a particular problem. Let’s look at a specific example of an issue that directly impacts Canadians: air quality.
Air quality is an important environmental issue in Canada and around the world, particularly in dense, urban areas. Poor air quality can negatively impact human health by causing eye irritation, difficulty breathing and coughing. Some segments of the population, such as young children, older adults or those with medical conditions like asthma or emphysema, are more vulnerable to these symptoms. Increases in respiratory issues caused by poor air quality lead to additional strain on our healthcare systems.
In addition to impacting human health, poor air quality impacts other elements of our world. Certain plants, crops, and trees are impacted by various pollutants, often causing a yellowing of leaves and a hindrance of their ability to grow. It can also accelerate the discolouration or fading of materials such as rubber, textiles and surface coatings, increasing the need for their repair or replacement. Poor air quality can therefore also negatively affect the overall health of the economy.
How can open data play a role in combating poor air quality? Let’s start by searching for available data. Conducting a quick search through Canada’s Open Data portal for “air quality” returns 122 results. Many of the datasets provide information on concentrations of certain pollutants, such as fine particulate matter and sulphur dioxide. There are also a number of reports and comparisons of Canada’s air quality levels to those of other urban areas internationally.
There is also the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI). AQHI is a measure of the air quality in a particular location, referenced as a rating from 1 to 10. The higher the number, the more polluted the air is. This measurement is calculated “based on the relative risks of a combination of common air pollutants that are known to harm human health, including ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide.”
AQHI is currently available for 117 cities across Canada. The dataset features real-time current air quality measurements, as well as forecasts for today, tonight and tomorrow. Also available are historical hourly measurements for the past two months.
So how could companies make use of this data? There are several instances where using AQHI data could bring additional value to the end product. Below are two examples.
Adding Data to Digital Properties
The easiest and most logical opportunity is to pull this data into any digital property (i.e. website, mobile application) where air quality could add value for visitors. Most notably, The Weather Network includes AQHI within their site to augment the weather forecasts they provide. The data is included with the current weather conditions, as well as in a separate Air Quality section of the site to display forecasted conditions. By including this data, The Weather Network can add value for their audience by helping them gain awareness of when air quality may be poor and how it may impact their outdoor activities.
Adding AQHI data to digital properties doesn’t need to be limited to weather websites. Other companies and organizations that have some relation to outdoor activities could add it to enhance the value they provide. For example, outdoor sports leagues or municipalities running outdoor events could make AQHI data accessible to participants. Or, if a company operates a business where employees work outdoors, adding this information to an internal website could be useful. Simply making this data readily available can inform and educate citizens as they go about their day-to-day lives.
IoT Devices
Integration of data from multiple sources can enhance product features within IoT devices. AQHI data could be used in a smart inhaler product that could alert when poor air quality is forecast. It could potentially push alerts to the user’s smartphone to remind them to take their inhaler with them. Current air quality measurements could also be combined with data collected from the device’s use to assist doctors in identifying specific trigger points for the patient’s respiratory ailments. The data could help inform the artificial intelligence algorithms predict the likelihood of respiratory attacks among other patients. Utilizing this data could have a dramatic impact on the quality of the solution and on the product’s value for the patient.
There are likely many other examples of how this data could be used to improve our world. It’s exciting to explore the role data can play in solving problems and informing citizens of the environment around them. Developing effective solutions to these problems is the next step towards a better future.
