Tracking Wildlife with Air Pollution Sensors

Air pollution sensors have been found to inadvertently capture environmental DNA from animals and plants, which could be used to help understand past and future changes in biodiversity. Scientists recovered environmental DNA from more than 180 different plants, fungi, insects, mammals, and amphibians from air quality filters located in Scotland and London. Existing air quality networks could be a huge untapped source of biodiversity data, according to the study. The regular monitoring provided by air filters is "unheard of in biodiversity science" and crucial to understanding species changes.