Air Quality

From left: Hokkaido marathon organiser Ryo Takano, JAAF deputy sport manager Yasuhiro Oshima, Health and Science department manager Paolo Emilio Adami and department director Stéphane Bermon in Sapporo

Paula Radcliffe addressing the First World Health Organisation Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health

Paula Radcliffe at the First World Health Organisation Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health

The IAAF&rsquo;s innovative Air Quality Project was one of the key talking points at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi this week.
The project also featured on the second day of the Science Policy Business Forum held on 10 March prior to the opening of UNEA. It attracted stakeholders from the private sector, donor organisations, civil society and member states.
UNEA is a biennial gathering of high level delegates from heads of state and ministers of environment to stakeholders in environmental issues. Innovative solutions for environmental challenges and sustainable consumption and production is the theme at this year&rsquo;s assembly, which opened on 11 March and runs until 15 March with the slogan &ldquo;think beyond, live within&rdquo; and hashtag #solvedifferent.
The Air Quality Project, which is being run in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), aims to address the issue of air pollution which contributes to 7 million deaths annually worldwide.
By creating an air quality monitoring network across 1000 athletics tracks around the world &ndash; which is being deployed by Spain-based Kunak Technologies &ndash; the UNEP/IAAF partnership provides first-hand opportunity to countries with limited air quality data to learn how low-cost sensors can provide evidence to improve the health of its citizens and future athletes. It also demonstrates an innovative approach to solving the air pollution problem.
Representatives from UNEP and Kunak explained how the UNEP/ IAAF Clean Air partnership supports the UN Environment&rsquo;s long-term programme to build the capacity of local governments to manage air pollution in urban area.
Miguel Escribano, Business Development Manager at Kunak, showed participants at UNEA real time data from the IAAF&rsquo;s air quality pilot at Stade Louis II in Monaco, Addis Ababa National Stadium in Ethiopia, Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre in Australia, and the Mexican Olympic Sports Center in Mexico, and described the collaboration between UNEP and the IAAF at the Science-Policy-Business Forum. The IAAF will soon be installing air quality devices in Asia and South America.
Professor Fekadu Beyene and HE Amedi Camara, Ministers of Environment from Ethiopia and Mauritania respectively, were among the government representatives that engaged directly with the UN environment platform demonstration. Stakeholders from Argentina, Mexico, Japan, Thailand, Morocco and South Africa also showed a keen interest.
&ldquo;The GEMS Air programme and partnerships like the IAAF collaboration will help UN Environment to fill the data gap in countries where there is limited real-time air quality data,&rdquo; said Sean Khan from UNEP&rsquo;s Global Environmental Monitoring System Unit. &ldquo;The IAAF partnership provides practical insight into the use of low-cost sensors, so it can be the first step to build capacity at city level networks, bringing together science for policy; using evidence-based air quality assessments to develop better urban policies.&rdquo;
IAAF / UNEP

The IAAF’s innovative Air Quality Project was one of the key talking points at the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi this week.

IAAF Air Quality Project presented at United Nations Environment Assembly

As part of the IAAF&rsquo;s continued pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world, the athletics track at the Mexican Olympic Sports Center (CDOM) had an air quality monitor installed on Tuesday (22).
The monitor will collect air quality data in real time, measuring the levels of several pollutants and, with it, assessing the impact of environmental pollution on the performance of the athletes, as well as designing new policies and strategies to counteract it.
The IAAF has been conducting the pilot programme in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), National Olympic Committees, national federations and government organisations since 28 May 2018.
Mexico&rsquo;s CDOM athletics track was selected by the IAAF to represent the North American and Caribbean area and it is the fourth installation of its kind following installations in Monaco, Addis Ababa and Australia.
The ultimate aim of the programme is to develop an air quality monitoring network linking 1000 IAAF-certified tracks around the world.
The installation of the air quality monitor in Mexico City was carried out in the presence of Carlos Padilla Becerra, President of the Mexican Olympic Committee; V&iacute;ctor L&oacute;pez, representative of the IAAF and President of the North America, Central America and Caribbean area; Antonio Lozano Pineda, President of the Mexican Federation of Athletics Associations; C&eacute;sar Moreno Bravo, former IAAF Council Member; Miklel Ceralta, general secretary of NACAC; and Stephanie Montero Bending, leader of the Secretariat of the Environment of Mexico City (SEDEMA) air quality and health project.
Some of Mexico&rsquo;s leading athletes were also present, including world U20 10,000m race walk champion Alegna Gonz&aacute;lez, Youth Olympic Games 5000m race walk finalist C&eacute;sar C&oacute;rdova and pole vaulter Alissandra Negrete.
In his speech, Padilla recognised that with the installation of this air quality monitor it will be possible to have the scientifically supported data to certify the quality of the air and to know if the environmental conditions are appropriate for the athletes to carry out their activities.
&ldquo;Looking after the health of our athletes, and the community in general, is not only an ideal but now &ndash; thanks to science and technology &ndash; it is a reality,&rdquo; he said.
L&oacute;pez expressed his gratitude to Padilla and Mexico&rsquo;s Olympic Committee, the FMAA for carrying out the installation of the monitor in the CDOM, and for being the first sports facility in the Americas to be part of this project.
&ldquo;Mexico has demonstrated the commitment of its sport leaders to create an environment and quality conditions for the performance of our more than half a million athletes that practice our sport, in the best possible environmental conditions and preserve their health,&rdquo; said Lopez.
Lozano stressed that the Mexican Olympic Committee&rsquo;s responsibility is to contribute to the best preparation for the athletes. &ldquo;We know that any circumstance can make a difference,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Having an air quality monitor can make a difference in winning a medal.&rdquo;
Montero said that the priority for the Ministry of the Environment is to protect the population&rsquo;s health.
&ldquo;If pollution is not measured, it is not known,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;And if it is not known, it is not taken care of. A set of actions related to air pollution and health have now been carried out with international institutions that are focused on guaranteeing Mexican citizens the right to a healthy environment.&rdquo;
COM for the IAAF 
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<h1 style="font-size: 40px;">Instalan monitor para medir niveles y calidad del aire</h1>
Con el objetivo de medir los niveles y calidad del aire, as&iacute; como vigilar los efectos de la contaminaci&oacute;n atmosf&eacute;rica y mejorar las condiciones en el rendimiento de los atletas, este martes se instal&oacute; el cuarto monitor en la pista del Centro Deportivo Ol&iacute;mpico Mexicano (CDOM), en la Ciudad de M&eacute;xico.
Las autoridades que se dieron cita en la instalaci&oacute;n de la red de monitoreo, fueron el presidente del Comit&eacute; Ol&iacute;mpico Mexicano (COM), Carlos Padilla Becerra; V&iacute;ctor L&oacute;pez, representante de la IAAF y presidente del &aacute;rea Norteamericana, Centroamericana y del Caribe; Antonio Lozano, presidente de la Federaci&oacute;n Mexicana de Asociaciones de Atletismo y Stephanie Montero, l&iacute;der del proyecto de calidad del aire y salud de la Secretaria de Medio Ambiente de la Ciudad de M&eacute;xico.
Padilla Becerra dijo que es un gran proyecto que dar&aacute; a los atletas un gran beneficio, &ldquo;siempre se habla de la calidad del aire de la Ciudad de M&eacute;xico y en especial de la calidad del aire en el Comit&eacute; y de esta pista, pero nunca se tiene los datos cient&iacute;ficamente sustentados para determinar si la calidad del aire es la adecuada para que nuestros deportistas puedan tener sus pr&aacute;cticas cotidianas&rdquo;.
Coment&oacute; que con este programa se tendr&aacute; un monitoreo permanente de la calidad del aire, se podr&aacute; determinar horarios y en que ocasiones se tendr&aacute; que suspender entrenamientos, as&iacute; como cu&aacute;les ser&aacute;n las mejores condiciones. Por su parte, V&iacute;ctor L&oacute;pez. se&ntilde;al&oacute; que con este proyecto se demuestra el compromiso que tienen los l&iacute;deres deportivos de crear un medio ambiente con condiciones de calidad y &oacute;ptimo para el desempe&ntilde;o de los deportistas para que se ejerciten dentro de las mejores condiciones atmosf&eacute;ricas posibles.
&ldquo;El objetivo es instalar mil monitores en pista y estadios alrededor del mundo. La IAAF en sociedad con el programa de mejor ambiente atmosf&eacute;rico de las Naciones Unidas y del Comit&eacute; Ol&iacute;mpico Internacional, unen esfuerzo con Comit&eacute;s Ol&iacute;mpicos Nacionales y federaciones nacionales para asegurar que las condiciones donde entrenan los atletas y todo aquellos corredores que se ejercitan por diferentes razones lo hagan en un ambiente libre de contaminaci&oacute;n&rdquo;. Mientras que Antonio Lozano coment&oacute; que con esta investigaci&oacute;n, los atletas tendr&aacute;n una orientaci&oacute;n m&aacute;s adecuada para llevar el alto rendimiento a mejores logros.
En tanto que Stephanie Montero, apunt&oacute;: &ldquo;el objetivo principal por la que se mide la calidad del aire en el mundo y en esta Ciudad es para proteger la salud de la poblaci&oacute;n, de no medirse, no se conoce y si no se conoce, no se atiende&rdquo;.
La Asociaci&oacute;n Internacional de Federaciones de Atletismo (IAAF) inici&oacute; un programa para identificar los efectos de la contaminaci&oacute;n atmosf&eacute;rica, por lo que desde el a&ntilde;o pasado lo puso en marcha y la primera pista en recibir un monitor fue en el Estadio Louis II en M&oacute;naco, seguido del Estadio Addis Abeba en Etiop&iacute;a y el tercero en el Parque Ol&iacute;mpico y Centro Atl&eacute;tico de Sydney, Australia, a principios de este a&ntilde;o.
La IAAF y el programa de Naciones Unidas para el Medio Ambiente trabajan de manera conjunta para los pr&oacute;ximos cinco a&ntilde;os, ya que buscan combatir la mala calidad del aire, por lo que se contemplan instalar mil monitores en pistas certificadas por la federaci&oacute;n internacional.

As part of the IAAF’s continued pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world, the athletics track at the Mexican Olympic Sports Center (CDOM) had an air quality monitor installed on Tuesday (22).

Air quality monitor installed in Mexico City

The IAAF has today launched its first air quality monitor in the Southern Hemisphere, at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre in Australia, as part of a pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world.
IAAF President Sebastian Coe, accompanied by Athletics Australia President Mark Arbib, switched on the device, the third installed at athletics stadiums as part of the IAAF&rsquo;s five-year partnership with UN Environment, which is designed to create greater global awareness and promote action on air pollution.
The ultimate aim of the programme is to develop an air quality monitoring network linking 1000 IAAF-certified tracks around the world.
Commenting at the installation ceremony, IAAF President Sebastian Coe said: &ldquo;We are all advocating and promoting more active lifestyles across the age spectrum and in all communities in order to fight the increasing sedentary lifestyles which in themselves cause heart disease, diabetes and other prolonged medical illnesses. But with over half the world&rsquo;s population living in urban areas in 2015 and rising to a predicted 60% by 2030, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) &ndash; that is double the 30% of the world&rsquo;s population who lived in urban areas back in 1950 &ndash; it is vital that we ensure we are not swapping one set of serious health risks for another. In the same way as the quality of water we drink is vital, it is high time that we are all equally demanding about the quality of air we breathe.&rdquo;
President of Athletics Australia, Mark Arbib, said: &ldquo;We are very supportive of the IAAF&rsquo;s decision to make the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre the third stadium around the world to receive an air quality monitor.
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President of Athletics Australia Mark Arbib at the air quality device launch in Sydney</div>
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&ldquo;Air quality is something we mostly take for granted in Australia, but air pollution has a direct impact on the health of our population and as we have seen globally, the consequences can be dire if pollution reaches high levels over prolonged periods. We welcome the leadership of Sebastian Coe and the IAAF on this important issue and urge all governments and sporting federations to keep environmental and climate challenges at the front of their minds at all times.&rdquo;
The IAAF&rsquo;s goal is to help the global efforts of organisations like UN Environment and WHO by gathering data, conducting studies and helping to raise awareness and educate people on air quality. The IAAF&rsquo;s ambition is to install a clean air monitor in all 1000 IAAF-certified track around the world over the next five years in partnership with UNEP.
The data will be available to the cities the tracks are in and, in time, will enable the IAAF to conduct meaningful performance studies with athletes who train and compete on these tracks and in these stadiums and use this information to benefit communities.
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&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big ambition and we have started small,&rdquo; said Coe. &ldquo;We are installing air quality monitors in six athletics stadiums in different parts of the world &ndash; in Monaco (installed in September), Addis Ababa (November), Sydney today and Mexico City, South America and Japan being installed over the next two months. We will run this pilot for the best part of a year to understand more about the data we can collect and, in that time, we hope to conduct one or two controlled studies on athlete performance and how their performances correlate to the quality of air they are breathing.
&ldquo;The sport of athletics is run through member associations based in 214 countries. We are bigger than the United Nations. We want to use our know-how, our voice and our athletes to bring this issue to the forefront of both policymakers and the public. We need to act now. We need more awareness based on solid facts, we need more education on the impact of poor air quality on our communities and our children and we need more voices to demand better policies around pollutants,&rdquo; said Coe.
The monitoring devices, produced by the Spanish firm <a href="https://www.kunak.es/en/">Kunak</a>, will collect real time air quality data, measuring levels of several pollutants including PM2.5 (particles), PM10, O3 and NO2, which research shows are the four main elements that have an impact on the performance of athletes.
IAAF

The IAAF has today launched its first air quality monitor in the Southern Hemisphere, at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre in Australia, as part of a pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world.

Air quality device installed in Australia as part of the IAAF’s global programme to monitor and share air quality data

The second air quality monitor in the IAAF&rsquo;s pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world was installed at Addis Ababa Stadium on Friday (2), the project&rsquo;s first in Africa.
The pilot programme, launched with the installation of the first device at the Stade Louis II in Monaco in September, is part of the IAAF&rsquo;s five-year partnership with UN Environment aimed at creating greater global awareness of air pollution through the creation of an air quality monitoring network that will eventually link 1000 IAAF-certified tracks around the world.
IAAF Ambassador and UN Environment Advocate for Clean Air Haile Gebrselassie, who attended the launch, believes that today&rsquo;s installation of the air quality monitor at Addis Ababa Stadium will lead to a new air pollution policy for Ethiopia.
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Kidist Tadesse of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation and IAAF Health &amp; Science Department Director St&eacute;phane Bermon discuss some of the data that will be collected by the air quality monitoring device at Addis Ababa stadium</div>
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Gebrselassie said the launch was an important occasion for those who are involved in athletics and for the community at large.
&ldquo;It's crucial to raise awareness about air pollution and to take initiatives to protect athletes from the effect of air pollution,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;As the Ethiopian Athletics Federation president I am proud of the installation of the air quality device which will be used for research to identify the effect of air pollution on athlete&rsquo;s performance. And it will lead us to design new policy and strategies.&rdquo;
As a long-time asthmatic, Gebrselassie said, &ldquo;I have canceled many competitions due to air pollution. And I was happy when the request came from the IAAF to install the device. I believe that the data will be used to save the next generation. Meanwhile, it will be devoted to draft a new policy in my country.&rdquo;
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IAAF Health &amp; Science Department Director St&eacute;phane Bermon interviewed at Addis Ababa Stadium</div>
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IAAF Health &amp; Science Department Director St&eacute;phane Bermon also attended the launch, briefing the guests, who included Ethiopian Athletics Federation General Secretary Bililign&nbsp;Mekoya, representatives of the Ethiopian athletics and football federations and several of the country&rsquo;s top track and field athletes, on the objectives of the project and the importance of data that will be collected. Bermon also spoke about the project with reporters from Ethiopian National TV and the regional broadcaster Addis TV.
The monitoring devices, produced by the Spanish firm <a href="https://www.kunak.es/en/">Kunak</a>, will collect real time air quality data, measuring levels of several pollutants including PM2.5 (particles), PM10, O3 and NO2, which research shows are the four main elements that have an impact on the performance of athletes.
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Built in 1940, the Addis Ababa Stadium is a key training centre for many of the country&rsquo;s leading athletes, Almaz Ayana, Tirunesh Dibaba, Genzebe Dibaba, Senbere Teferi and Selemon Barega among them.
Mentwab Geday (in Addis Ababa) and Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

The second air quality monitor in the IAAF’s pilot programme to measure air quality at stadiums around the world was installed at Addis Ababa Stadium on Friday (2), the project’s first in Africa.

Stadium air quality monitor installed in Addis Ababa, first in Africa

IAAF Ambassador Paula Radcliffe underscored the importance of the IAAF's air quality initiative during a presentation at the First World Health Organisation Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva on Wednesday (31).
"When we live in a world where seven million people a year die from polluted air related illnesses we cannot wait, we need to act now," Radcliffe said, speaking during a session on Communication, advocacy and partnerships, whose purpose was to highlight unique advocacy initiatives in clean air campaigns.
"We need more awareness based on solid facts, we need more education on the impact of poor air quality on our communities and our children and we need more voices to demand better policies around pollutants."
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Paula Radcliffe at the First World Health Organisation Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health</div>
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Radcliffe, who was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma at 14, spoke of many of the challenges she and other athletes who are asthma sufferers face when running, training and competing, and how those difficulties are exacerbated by poor air quality. Athletes, Radcliffe said, can play a pivotal role in helping us further understand the impact of poor air quality on long term health. It's especially important now, as more people worldwide run for exercise and leisure than do any other sport combined.
"About half a billion people around the world run regularly and this figure is growing," Radcliffe said, adding that countries in Asia are witnessing the highest growth in those numbers. "More and more people are living in urban areas &ndash; almost two thirds of our global population will live in urban areas over the next two decades. Ninety percent of that urban growth will be centred on Asia and Africa."
But it's in urban areas, according to WHO surveys, that the vast majority of the world's polluted air is centralised. Only about 20% of the world's urban population lives in areas that comply with air quality standards considered safe by the WHO.&nbsp;
"Every day around 93% of the world&rsquo;s children under the age of 15 years - 1.8 billion children - breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and development at serious risk," said Radcliffe, who <a href="https://www.iaaf.org/athletics-better-world/news/radcliffe-joins-un-clean-air-campaign">today joined UN Environment as an Advocate for Clean Air</a>. "Add the growth in running and the general push to get society and our children to do more exercise and we have a perfect storm brewing."
Athletes, Radcliffe pointed out, are uniquely positioned to at least begin quelling that storm before it gains strength.
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"Through elite athletes &ndash; let&rsquo;s be honest, we measure and monitor everything &ndash; we can conduct controlled tests," Radcliffe said.
"We know there is an impact on lung function with increased exacerbations of asthma, pulmonary hypertension and other related impacts. We also know that the heart comes under significant pressure but we are only just learning how exposure to air pollution degrades our brain.
"Monitoring performances, as we do, and correlating them to air quality over time will give us all much more data and help us all understand the long term health impacts of poor air quality on our bodies and organs."
Through its air quality project, which will install monitoring devices on 1000 tracks around the world over the next five years, the IAAF will assist the global efforts of the WHO and UN Environment by gathering data, conducting studies and helping to raise awareness and educate the public on air quality, Radcliffe said.
"The sport of athletics is run through member associations based in 214 countries," Radcliffe said. "We are bigger than the United Nations. We want to use our know how, our voice and our athletes to bring this issue to the forefront of both policymakers and the public."
Note:&nbsp;In an interview with UN News following her presentation in Geneva, Radcliffe spoke more about her work as a UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Clean Air Advocate and Ambassador for the IAAF. Listen to it below.
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Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

IAAF Ambassador Paula Radcliffe underscored the importance of the IAAF's air quality initiative during a presentation at the First World Health Organisation Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva on Wednesday (31).

Radcliffe underscores importance of IAAF air quality initiative at WHO conference in Geneva

The IAAF has today reached a substantial milestone in its campaign to raise awareness of the effects of air pollution, with the installation of its first stadium air quality monitor in Monaco.
As part of a pilot programme designed to highlight the need for clean air, the first device was set up at Stade Louis II in Monaco today, in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II, President of the Monaco Athletics Federation and Chair of the IOC Environment Commission, and Sebastian Coe, President of the International Association of Athletics Federations.
"As chairman of the Monaco Athletics Federation I am proud that the Stade Louis II has been part of the IAAF Air Quality Device project which targets to improve the quality of environment and conditions of performances for the athletes, through data that has never been provided before," HSH Prince Albert II said.
"After a first test during our IDL meeting Herculis EBS on July 20th, which has been ranked as the best meeting of the history, we are delighted to continue to work in this project. Stade Louis II will be the first stadium in the world with such tools, thus allowing the Principality to be a pioneer in terms of environmental consideration in sport."
IAAF President Sebastian Coe added: "Air pollution is a silent killer which is affecting the health of athletes, local communities and our environment, so I&rsquo;m delighted that the cooperation between the IAAF and our partners has brought this project to fruition and I hope that together we can raise awareness and help to improve air quality around the globe."
Six more devices, supplied by <a href="https://www.kunak.es/en/">Kunak Technologies SL</a>, the Spanish company that won a tender process to provide the monitors, will be installed on athletics tracks around the world in the coming months as part of the project. Stadiums in Argentina, Ethiopia, Mexico, Sydney and Japan have been selected. A second device will also be installed at Stade Louis II to measure the difference between the air at each end of the stadium. 
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HSH Prince Albert II switches on the air quality monitoring device</div>
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The IAAF and UN Environment (UNEP) announced in May that they were joining forces to address the issue of poor air quality, which has led to seven million deaths globally, according to a World Health Organisation study.
Fanny Demassieux, Head of the UNEP&rsquo;s Pollution and Health Unit in Paris, was also at Stade Louis II today to mark the arrival of the air quality monitor, as were IAAF-UNEP Clean Air Ambassador Paula Radcliffe and IAAF Council Member and Chair of the IAAF Sustainable Development Advisory Group, Sylvia Barlag.
Ms Demassieux was delighted that the pilot been launched so quickly, given that discussions between the IAAF and UNEP only began in December last year.
"We're very grateful that Prince Albert and the authorities of Monaco are part of the project, and this is actually what we want to see in other cities, that they include authorities in the discussions," she said.
"The important thing is to raise the awareness among athletes and recreational runners of how important air quality is for their health. In order to improve air quality, we need to monitor it." 
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The five-year partnership between the IAAF and UNEP, supported by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, aims to have 1000 monitors stationed in IAAF certified athletics tracks around the world providing real time air quality data. The pollutants that will be measured include PM2.5 (particles), PM10, O3 and NO2, which research shows are the four main elements that have an impact on the performance of athletes.
The Monaco Athletics Federation and Stade Louis II have been strong supporters of the project and hosted a demonstration of air quality monitors from the shortlisted tenderers during the Diamond League meeting Herculis in July this year.
With an informal network of more than half a billion runners around the world, the IAAF is in a unique position to promote global awareness of the health impacts of air pollution.
This is a particularly important issue for athletes, whose performances can be affected when they compete in poor air.
The IAAF Health and Science Department continues to study the correlation between air quality and athlete performance, following on from its preliminary research which found a performance reduction in highly polluted environments.
"Some recent athletics events took place in highly polluted cities and at exactly the worst time of the day possible, considering the traffic, solar irradiation and external temperature," said the IAAF&rsquo;s Health and Science Department Manager Dr Paolo Emilio Adami.
"Exercising in these atmospheric conditions, besides being extremely harmful, does not allow the athletes to perform at their best and ultimately lowers the standard of the competition. The air quality monitors will assist us in our further research on this subject. We want to do whatever we can to protect athletes from the negative effects of air pollution, and we believe this will also benefit the wider community, in fact anyone who exercises."
IAAF

The IAAF has today reached a substantial milestone in its campaign to raise awareness of the effects of air pollution, with the installation of its first stadium air quality monitor in Monaco.

IAAF installs first stadium air quality monitor in Monaco

The IAAF&rsquo;s search for a global partner to provide air quality monitoring devices (AQ) will reach a significant stage this week when five shortlisted tenderers showcase their technology at Stade Louis II in Monaco, during Friday&rsquo;s Diamond League meeting.
Representatives from Air Monitors Ltd, Clarity, Envicontrol, Kunak and South Coast Science have chosen to demonstrate their devices in the Principality.
Those coming to Monaco, will be expected to place their sensors at athlete and crowd level in the stadium and the devices will then provide live data that will be transmitted to their computers for demonstration purposes. Their mission is to illustrate how they measure PM2.5, PM10 (particles), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and O3 (ozone). This exercise will allow the IAAF to see first-hand how the various devices operate.
In May this year, the IAAF announced a five-year partnership with UN Environment aimed at creating greater global awareness of pollution and the importance of good air quality.
Focused on athletes&rsquo; health, the IAAF objectives are:
&bull; To have an air quality monitoring network that links all IAAF certified outdoor tracks around the world within five years (approximately 1000), across the six continents Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Caribbean, Oceania and South America. Any air quality monitoring networks for IAAF certified indoor tracks will be considered later;
&bull; To collaborate with UN Environment, global NGOs and partners to create a global database of air quality and mitigation initiatives around athletics stadia;
&bull; To utilise the information from this city network of air quality monitors, in collaboration with government and existing air quality monitoring networks, to create data-sets that would allow cities to advise on the best times to participate in sports in their locations, and provide real time updates that can be used to find solutions that would reduce the air quality issues in the stadia locality;
&bull; To work with local and national governments as well as media and communications partners to share the findings of the air quality monitors and to show how poor air quality can affect the quality of life of the community and to promote solutions to address the impacts of pollution on human health;
&bull; To campaign and advocate for clean air by providing real-time information on air quality online and through smartphone technology, and to use that data to influence policy, find air quality solutions and run awareness campaigns.
&bull; To provide insights for a study on the correlation between air quality and the performance of athletes
The IAAF tender evaluation team is led by Council member and Chair of the Sustainable Development Advisory Group, Sylvia Barlag, and expert consultant, Professor Andreas Matzarakis, from the Research Centre of Human Biometeorology, German Meteorological Service in Freiburg. The IAAF Health and Science Department will also play an essential role in analysing the data and evaluating the impact on athletes&rsquo; health and performances.
The AQ demonstration will take place during Herculis 2018 with the support of the government of the Principality and the F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Mon&eacute;gasque d&rsquo;Athl&eacute;tisme.
&ldquo;The cooperation between the IAAF and these important partners is a perfect example of how athletics, our member federations and governments can work together to bring awareness and do something about this silent killer which is affecting the health of athletes, local communities and the environment," said IAAF President Sebastian Coe. "I am very pleased to announce that the first air quality monitoring device under this IAAF initiative will be installed in the autumn in Stade Louis II."
In addition to Monaco, the pilot study between September 2018 and September 2019 will include stadiums in Argentina, Ethiopia, Japan, Mexico and either Australia or New Zealand.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently announced that seven million people die from pollution each year. In fact, 92 per cent of the world&rsquo;s population does not breathe safe air. We all know about the importance of drinking clean water, we should also take a greater interest in the quality of air that we breathe.
Former elite athlete Paula Radcliffe, who, together with Haile Gebrselassie, is an IAAF and UN Environment Clean Air Ambassador for this cause, said: &ldquo;I have had the privilege of running in some amazing places over the years, and by far the ones that I love and appreciate the most are those in beautiful surroundings and above all, in clean air. As an asthma sufferer I have experienced first-hand the challenges faced when competing and running in poor quality air conditions and can only imagine the horror of living permanently with such conditions. Clean air is a basic human right that every person on this planet should have. I am extremely proud that athletics is taking a leading role in sport to bring greater global awareness of the value of clean air and its impact on athletes&rsquo; health and performances."
Monaco&rsquo;s Department of Environment has measured air quality in the Principality for more than 20 years and has a network of five monitoring stations, including one at Port Herculis and another at Fontvieille Primary School, near Stade Louis II. These stations currently measure O3 (Ozone), SO2, (sulfur dioxide), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), and PM10 (particles).
&nbsp;
<h3>L&rsquo;IAAF &agrave; la recherche d&rsquo;un partenaire mondial pour un dispositif de surveillance de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air</h3>
&nbsp;
La recherche de l&rsquo;IAAF d&rsquo;un partenaire mondial fournissant des dispositifs de surveillance de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air, va franchir une &eacute;tape importante cette semaine puisque cinq candidats retenus pr&eacute;senteront leur technologie vendredi au Stade Louis II de Monaco, lors de la r&eacute;union de la Diamond League.
Des repr&eacute;sentants d&rsquo;Air Monitors Ltd, Clarity, Envicontrol, Kunak et South Coast Science ont choisi de montrer le fonctionnement de leurs dispositifs en Principaut&eacute;.
Les soci&eacute;t&eacute;s qui seront pr&eacute;sentes &agrave; Monaco devront placer leurs capteurs dans le stade au niveau des athl&egrave;tes et des spectateurs, et les appareils fourniront ensuite des donn&eacute;es en direct qui seront transmises &agrave; leurs ordinateurs &agrave; des fins de d&eacute;monstration. Leur objectif est d&rsquo;illustrer comment ils mesurent les particules fines PM2.5 et PM10, le dioxyde d&rsquo;azote (NO2) et l&rsquo;ozone (O3). Cet exercice permettra &agrave; l&rsquo;IAAF de pouvoir constater sur place le fonctionnement des diff&eacute;rents dispositifs.
En mai dernier, l&rsquo;IAAF a annonc&eacute; la conclusion d&rsquo;un partenariat de cinq ans avec ONU Environnement afin de susciter &agrave; l&rsquo;&eacute;chelle plan&eacute;taire une plus grande sensibilisation &agrave; la pollution et &agrave; l&rsquo;importance d&rsquo;une bonne qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air.
Centr&eacute;s sur la sant&eacute; des athl&egrave;tes, les objectifs de l&rsquo;IAAF sont les suivants:
&bull; Avoir un r&eacute;seau de surveillance de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air qui relie toutes les pistes en plein air homologu&eacute;es par l&rsquo;IAAF d&rsquo;ici &agrave; 5 ans (environ 1000), sur les six zones continentales (Afrique, Asie, Europe, Am&eacute;rique du Nord et Cara&iuml;bes, Oc&eacute;anie et Am&eacute;rique du Sud). Les r&eacute;seaux de surveillance de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air pour les pistes en salle homologu&eacute;es par l&rsquo;IAAF seront pris en compte ult&eacute;rieurement&nbsp;;
&bull; Collaborer avec ONU Environnement, les ONG mondiales et les partenaires &agrave; la cr&eacute;ation d&rsquo;une base de donn&eacute;es mondiale sur la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air et les diff&eacute;rentes initiatives permettant de diminuer la pollution autour des stades d&rsquo;athl&eacute;tisme&nbsp;;
&bull; Utiliser les informations de ce r&eacute;seau urbain de surveillance de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air, en collaboration avec le gouvernement et les r&eacute;seaux de surveillance existants, pour cr&eacute;er des donn&eacute;es permettant aux villes de conseiller les meilleurs moments pour pratiquer une activit&eacute; sportive dans leur localit&eacute;&nbsp;; fournir parall&egrave;lement des mises &agrave; jour en temps r&eacute;el pouvant &ecirc;tre utilis&eacute;es pour trouver des solutions r&eacute;duisant les probl&egrave;mes de qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air.
&bull; Travailler avec les autorit&eacute;s locales et nationales ainsi qu&rsquo;avec les m&eacute;dias et r&eacute;seaux de communication pour partager les r&eacute;sultats des dispositifs de surveillance et montrer comment une mauvaise qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air peut affecter la qualit&eacute; de vie de la communaut&eacute; et promouvoir des solutions pour faire face &agrave; l&rsquo;impact de la pollution sur la sant&eacute; humaine&nbsp;;
&bull; Mobiliser le grand public gr&acirc;ce &agrave; des campagnes d&rsquo;information en ligne et via les smartphones, en fournissant des informations sur la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air en temps r&eacute;el, et utiliser ces donn&eacute;es pour influencer les politiques mises en place, trouver des solutions et mener des campagnes de sensibilisation.
&bull; Fournir des informations pour effectuer une &eacute;tude sur la corr&eacute;lation entre la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air et les performances des athl&egrave;tes.
L&rsquo;&eacute;quipe d&rsquo;&eacute;valuation des offres de l&rsquo;IAAF est dirig&eacute;e par Sylvia Barlag, membre du Conseil et pr&eacute;sidente du Groupe consultatif sur le d&eacute;veloppement durable, et le professeur Andreas Matzarakis, expert consultant, du Centre de recherche en biom&eacute;t&eacute;orologie humaine de l&rsquo;Institut m&eacute;t&eacute;orologique de l&rsquo;universit&eacute; de Fribourg-en-Brisgau en Allemagne. Le d&eacute;partement Sant&eacute; et Sciences de l&rsquo;IAAF jouera &eacute;galement un r&ocirc;le essentiel dans l&rsquo;analyse des donn&eacute;es et l&rsquo;&eacute;valuation de l&rsquo;impact sur la sant&eacute; et les performances des athl&egrave;tes.
L&rsquo;exp&eacute;rience de mesure de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air aura lieu au cours de la r&eacute;union Herculis 2018 et b&eacute;n&eacute;ficiera du soutien du gouvernement de la Principaut&eacute; et de la F&eacute;d&eacute;ration Mon&eacute;gasque d&rsquo;Athl&eacute;tisme.
&laquo;&nbsp;La coop&eacute;ration entre l&rsquo;IAAF et ces partenaires importants est un parfait exemple de la fa&ccedil;on dont l&rsquo;athl&eacute;tisme, nos f&eacute;d&eacute;rations membres et les gouvernements peuvent travailler ensemble pour sensibiliser le public et combattre ce fl&eacute;au silencieux qui affecte la sant&eacute; des athl&egrave;tes, les communaut&eacute;s locales et l&rsquo;environnement&nbsp;&raquo;, a d&eacute;clar&eacute; Sebastian Coe, le Pr&eacute;sident de l&rsquo;IAAF. &laquo;&nbsp;Je suis tr&egrave;s heureux d&rsquo;annoncer que le premier dispositif de surveillance de la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air dans le cadre de cette initiative de l&rsquo;IAAF sera install&eacute; &agrave; l&rsquo;automne au Stade Louis II.&nbsp;&raquo;
Outre Monaco, l&rsquo;&eacute;tude pilote qui aura lieu entre septembre 2018 et septembre 2019 comprendra des stades d&rsquo;Argentine, d&rsquo;&Eacute;thiopie, du Japon, du Mexique, et soit d&rsquo;Australie soit de Nouvelle-Z&eacute;lande.
L&rsquo;Organisation mondiale de la sant&eacute; (OMS) a r&eacute;cemment indiqu&eacute; que sept millions de personnes mouraient chaque ann&eacute;e du fait de la pollution. En r&eacute;alit&eacute;, 92&nbsp;% de la population mondiale ne respire pas un air sain. Si nous mesurons tous combien il est important de boire de l&rsquo;eau potable, nous devons &eacute;galement nous int&eacute;resser davantage &agrave; la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air que nous respirons.
&laquo;&nbsp;Au cours de ma carri&egrave;re, j&rsquo;ai eu la chance de courir dans des endroits extraordinaires et ceux que j&rsquo;appr&eacute;cie le plus sont, de loin, ceux qui se trouvent dans un cadre magnifique et surtout qui b&eacute;n&eacute;ficient d&rsquo;un air pur&nbsp;&raquo;, a d&eacute;clar&eacute; l&rsquo;ancienne athl&egrave;te de haut niveau Paula Radcliffe, ambassadrice de l&rsquo;IAAF et d&rsquo;ONU Environnement pour la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air en compagnie d&rsquo;Haile Gebrselassie. &laquo;&nbsp;En tant qu&rsquo;asthmatique, j&rsquo;ai exp&eacute;riment&eacute; directement les difficult&eacute;s qu&rsquo;on peut rencontrer en comp&eacute;tition et en course &agrave; pied lorsque l&rsquo;air est de mauvaise qualit&eacute; et j&rsquo;imagine l&rsquo;horreur que ce doit &ecirc;tre de vivre en permanence dans de telles conditions. Respirer un air pur est un droit fondamental pour chaque habitant de cette plan&egrave;te. Je suis extr&ecirc;mement fi&egrave;re que l&rsquo;athl&eacute;tisme joue un r&ocirc;le de premier plan dans le sport afin de sensibiliser le monde entier &agrave; la valeur de l&rsquo;air pur et &agrave; son impact sur la sant&eacute; et les performances des athl&egrave;tes.&nbsp;&raquo;
La Direction&nbsp;de l&rsquo;environnement de Monaco mesure la qualit&eacute; de l&rsquo;air de la Principaut&eacute; depuis plus de 20 ans et dispose d&rsquo;un r&eacute;seau de cinq stations de surveillance, dont une au&nbsp;Port Hercule&nbsp;et une autre &agrave; l&rsquo;&eacute;cole primaire de Fontvieille, pr&egrave;s du Stade Louis II. Ces stations mesurent actuellement l&rsquo;ozone (O3), les dioxydes de soufre (SO2) et d&rsquo;azote (NO2), et les particules fines PM10.
IAAF

The IAAF’s search for a global partner to provide air quality monitoring devices (AQ) will reach a significant stage this week when five shortlisted tenderers showcase their technology at Stade Louis II in Monaco, during Friday’s Diamond League meeting.

The search is on for the IAAF’s air quality monitoring device global partner

As part of its drive to strengthen sustainable and environmentally-friendly processes within the organisation, the IAAF is delighted to support UN Environment's BreatheLife Challenge, the first in a series of the organisation's campaigns to mobilise citizens to act in their own interest for better air quality and better health.
BreatheLife is a joint campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Environment (UNEP) and the Climate &amp; Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to mobilize cities and individuals to protect our health and planet from the effects of air pollution.
Among the project's aims is to rally people to walk, bike and use public transportation to clean the air around them and take a pledge to reduce air pollution emissions by "a marathon a month", the equivalent of 42 kilometres of car use.
This month, the World Health Organisation, a co-leader of the initiative, will release new data on the state of air pollution in the world, making public the latest air pollution levels and trends from 4000 cities. Armed with those figures, UNEP and the WHO will be challenging more cities to join the growing BreatheLife network and encouraging individuals to call on their city leaders to do more to combat air pollution in their communities.
For more on the campaign, visit <a href="http://breathelife2030.org/">breathelife2030.org</a>.
IAAF

As part of its drive to strengthen sustainable and environmentally-friendly processes within the organisation, the IAAF is delighted to support UN Environment's BreatheLife Challenge, the first in a series of the organisation's campaigns to mobilise citizens to act in their own interest for better air quality and better health.

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