SArajevo AEROsol Experiment: Composition, Sources and Health Effects of Atmospheric Aerosol: SAAERO

Programme(s): H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility

Topic(s): MSCA-IF-2020 - Individual Fellowships

Call for proposal: H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

Funding Scheme: MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

Grant agreement ID: 101028909

Project description

Establishing abatement intervention to atmospheric aerosols with negative effects on human health

Every winter, the Western Balkan (WB) region has some of the poorest European and global air quality due to extensive use of solid fuels for domestic heating and an old vehicle fleet. The aerosolised particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere has detrimental effects on air quality, human health and ecosystems. The EU-funded SAAERO project will set up the first systematic extended measurements of fine aerosol in the city of Sarajevo to deliver detailed aerosol physico-chemical characterisation and quantify their effects. The project aims for a strong and lasting impact in understanding and resolving the current environmental and health crises in the WB region, establishing a solid baseline for the abatement intervention.

Objective

Aerosolized particulate matter (PM), suspended in the atmosphere, particularly its fine fraction, has well documented detrimental effects on air quality, human health and ecosystems. Every winter, the Western Balkan (WB) region is experiencing some of the poorest European and global air quality, due to the extensive use of solid fuels for domestic heating and an old vehicle fleet. Countries of the WB lack state-of-the-art atmospheric scientific research despite high levels of ambient pollution. It is imperative to understand the sources and mechanisms governing such air pollution. The SAAERO project proposes setting-up the first systematic extended measurements of fine aerosol in the city of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, to deliver detailed aerosol physico-chemical characterization and quantify their effects. During six months, measurements will be performed with on-line, high time resolution (total, organic and elemental carbon, and black carbon) instrument and daily, continuous filter samples will be collected for off-line laboratory analyses. Additionally, during an intensive two week field campaign, aerosol chemical composition will be measured with state-of-the-art aerosol mass spectrometer on board a mobile research laboratory. Subsequent off-line analyses of aerosol filter samples will give detailed aerosol chemical composition from bulk to source-specific organic marker species, and the sample oxidative potential, which will be used as a health effects proxy. Finally, sophisticated source apportionment methodology will be used to deduce PM emission sources, atmospheric processing of emissions. A novel methodology linking aerosol fractions and oxidative potential will be developed to assign health effects to specific sources. The proposed SAAERO project aims for a strong and lasting impact in understanding and resolving current major environmental and health crises in the entire WB region, establishing a solid baseline for the abatement intervention.