Telford doctor motorbikes through Thailand to help global air pollution problem

It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

And that man is Dr Christopher Crosby, who is taking on the epic journey as part of a project to measure air pollution and improve people's lives.

The former Telford resident, whose parents and sister still live in the town, says his findings could help people around the globe deal with a deadly problem.

"Air pollution is an invisible killer that affects so many people's health, which is why I'm trying to raise its profile and make the invisible 'visible', and ultimately improve people's quality of life around the world," said Dr Crosby, a research associate at Loughborough University's school of civil and building engineering.

According to the University, Dr Crosby will be the first person on a motorcycle to measure pollution levels using mobile air sensors.

He set off on his journey yesterday and will be visiting a number of cities along the route, including Bangkok, where polluted air is a big problem.

A number of different air sensors will be attached to both Dr Crosby and his motorcycle to measure pollution levels.

The expedition has been organised as part of Dr Crosby's 'Every Breath Counts' project, through which he aims to develop a monitoring and risk assessment tool.

He said: "Current methods of pollution data collection are static, costly and restricted to monitoring specific locations, leaving vast areas untouched.

"By taking to two wheels armed with a variety of air sensors, I will be collecting data on pollution levels across Thailand at different times of the day.

"I will then be able to pinpoint certain pollution hotspots and calculate the long-term risk associated with specific modes of transport on certain journey routes."

He said work is also underway on a new pollution sensor for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

It is called the Particulate Matter Smart Sensor (PMSS) and it will alert people to areas of poor air quality and suggest an appropriate course of action.

"A personal air pollution monitor has the potential to indicate when medication or other preventative measures are needed, and allows people to know exactly the air quality they are breathing every day," he said.

"I run an air quality website which will track my trip progress and post news bulletins and research information."

Dr Crosby's work could eventually help towns and cities across the globe, even back in Shropshire where he grew up.

Around the world, some 3milliojn people die each year as a result of air pollution.

According to Government figures, 130 people aged over 25 die in Shropshire each year as a result of air pollution. In Telford & Wrekin there are 63 deaths.

Dr Crosby hopes his work could help to reduce those numbers.

He said: "If you care about eliminating cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, asthma, neuro developmental disorders like autism and many other illnesses and diseases, then you should care about the quality and cleanliness of the air you breathe. Poor air quality is a contributing factor and root cause to these health issues.

"If we can detect and reduce dirty air more effectively, via monitoring and use of cleaner and renewable energy sources, then we can reduce the number of cases of harmful diseases."

It's all a long way from where Dr Crosby started his career.

"I moved to Telford with my parents in 1996 and originally worked for a plastics Company on Hortonwood for a number of years," he said.

"My parents still live in Wellington and my sister is in Randlay

"In 2004 I decided to go back into education and have not looked back.

"I studied a BSc (Geography)and Phd (Environmental Engineering) at Wolverhampton and started working at Loughborough as a researcher in 2011.

"I'm now at a stage in my career where I take control of my own destiny, so to speak. So I have decided to take my work into new and novel directions.

"The work is aimed towards my application for an EPSRC fellowship, this will hopefully take me from being a contract researcher to a fully fledged permanent academic."

• Dr Crosby will be returning to the UK on June 12. To track his progress visit www.air-moto.co.uk/blog.html