Turning Air Quality Data Into Actionable Insights

In our past blog articles, we’ve discussed the many unique ways people are presenting air quality data. From maps to illuminating light towers, we’ve documented various approaches. This time, we want to shine a light on air.nmn.gl, a website that acts as a real-time air quality impact calculator, transforming complex AQI metrics into “immediately understandable health consequences.” Instead of just presenting pollution levels, it translates them into real-world effects – like how many cigarettes a person consumes just by breathing in polluted air.

To gain a better understanding of the site’s origin and development, I had the opportunity to talk to Namanyay Goel (Neo), the site’s creator. Discovering his passion for programming at the young age of 13, Neo has since dedicated himself to using technology as a tool to spread awareness and inspire change. For him, the creation of this site stemmed from something personal.

“Living here in Delhi, air quality comes up in the news every winter. But this time there was a day where I woke up, I looked outside, and I could barely see anything going on beyond 5 feet in front of my face. And what’s worse is that when I came to my office and was talking to other people around me, everyone was smiling and fine with it. It seemed like people didn’t really understand what was going on or how it’s damaging them. ” – Namanyay Goel

To Neo, it was clear that people weren’t truly understanding the gravity of the situation. This is where he saw a chance to use technology to bridge that gap. He walked me through the process of how he simplified the data on his website.

First, he got the data from stations that are very close to the user through a third-party API. After that, he went through multiple research papers and studies to find ways he could quantify the data into relatable terms. This is where he was able to find a study that provided a mathematical formula for converting a given AQI into how many cigarettes a person would consume per day. He also found ones that calculated how much a person’s lifespan would be reduced over time based on their region’s average AQI.

What’s particularly interesting about this project is that it not only serves as a public learning tool, but as a continuous learning experience for Neo himself. Building a site like this requires a lot of dedication to research, which is why he sometimes comes across information that he previously wasn’t aware of.

“An important thing I learned is that I thought the human body has ways of cleaning itself and fixing itself, but actually, those PM_2.5 particles cause irreversible damage to our lungs and cause scarring on a cellular level that never really heals.”

As he continued to develop the site, he also noticed how people reacted to it. Neo recalls seeing the public’s reaction in two parts.

“I was posting regularly on Reddit and interacting with the community there, and I saw the reaction to it in two parts. For younger people under 25, they were receiving this information with a thorough understanding of it, and they were also looking at how they can change or improve the future with this information. On the other hand when they shared this with their parents or the older people in their family, this was met with derision. They prefer to close the website because it seemed like facing reality was too difficult.”

However, this didn’t discourage Neo. It only motivated him more to find ways he could continue to reach them. This is where empathy plays an important part – a quality he believes is just as important as technical skill. While it is true that building a website like this requires a lot of programming knowledge, making it impactful requires you to be able to truly understand the needs of your audience.

“We need to bridge the gap of understanding in an empathetic way. Because ultimately, everyone suffers through this. So whenever we touch upon this topic, firstly, we have to try and not be overly scientific and throw all the different facts in their face. And secondly, we have to do it in an empathetic way with some practical advice and solutions so that it doesn’t create a sense of fear or despair.”

This sense of empathy can also be seen in how receptive Neo is to feedback, as he takes the time to listen to the public’s input and incorporate changes to make the site’s user experience as smooth and understandable as possible. During our discussion, I asked if there was a way to search Air Quality Health reports from other areas, as the website at the time only displayed data based on a user’s location. To my surprise, just a few hours after our call, a search feature had been added. Realizing the site’s potential, he also plans on continuing to expand this website on a more global scale, as at the time, the focus was mainly on how people in Delhi can advocate for cleaner air through the data presented.

air.nmn.gl proves that being presented with numerical data alone is sometimes not enough – it needs to be clear and digestible to truly drive change. We look forward to seeing how the site will continue to develop over time. Check it out today to see how your area’s air quality is affecting you and people from all over the world!