Specific urban bioaerosols along socio-economic and vegetation gradients
In cities, green infrastructure helps the environment by reducing the heat island effect, air pollutants and ultraviolet radiation. We propose that urban planning strategies should incorporate a better understanding of green infrastructure’s influence on air quality to support the health of urban populations. Our hypothesis is that the quantity and diversity of specific bioaerosols will be directly correlated with the density and diversity of green infrastructure and the human population density and thus correlated with socioeconomic gradient. This research project therefore aims to identify and quantify specific bioaerosols (airborne particles from biological sources, in this case pollens and microorganisms) and to measure the influence of vegetation and socioeconomic status on those bioaerosols in urban air using random forest models.
