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RI-URBANS

Improving air quality with decision-making tools

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Launched in October for a four-year period, the RI-URBANS project aims to strengthen synergies between European air quality monitoring networks and research infrastructures in the field of atmospheric sciences. IMT Nord Europe is a partner for this project, which received up to €8 million of funding from the European Union. Interview with  Stéphane Sauvage, professor, and Thérèse Salameh, R&D engineer.

European project RI-URBANS[1] was submitted in response to a call for tender dedicated to research infrastructures (RI) capable of tackling the challenges set by the European Green Deal. What is it all about?

Stéphane Sauvage The EU aims to play a leading role in fighting climate change at a global level. In a communication dated 14 July 2021, the 27 member states committed to turning the EU into the first climate neutral continent by 2050. To achieve this, they committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to levels in 1990, and to implement a series of initiatives related to the climate, energy, agriculture, industry, environment, oceans, etc.. Specifically, the Green Deal aims to protect our biodiversity and ecosystems, transition to a circular economy and reduce air, water and soil pollution. RI-URBANS falls under this initiative to reduce air pollution.

What is the goal of RI-URBANS?

S.S. Within this project, the objective is to connect the Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure (ACTRIS), Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS) and In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) – combining stationary and mobile observation and exploration platforms, calibration centers and data centers – with local stakeholders, such as air quality monitoring agencies, political decision-makers or regional stakeholders. The main objective is to provide them with high quality data and develop innovative service tools allowing them to better evaluate the health impact, identify sources of pollution in real time and forecast atmospheric pollution, in order to help decision-makers in improving air quality.

How will these tools be developed?

S.S. RI-URBANS will focus on ambient nanoparticles and atmospheric particulate matter, their sizes, constituents, source contributions, and gaseous precursors, evaluating novel air quality parameters, source contributions, and their associated health effects to demonstrate the European added value of implementing such service tools. To determine which areas are of interest, we have first to collect the available data on these variables and make it findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, while offering decision-makers services and tools.

In order to test these services, a pilot phase will be deployed in nine European cities (Athens, Barcelona, Birmingham, Bucharest, Helsinki, Milan, Paris, Rotterdam-Amsterdam and Zurich). These cities have been identified as industrial, port, airport and road hotspots, with significant levels of pollution and have established air quality monitoring networks and research infrastructure units. In Paris, for example, the atmospheric research observatory SIRTA is a unit of ACTRIS and one of the most prominent sites in Europe offering the instrumentation, equipment and hosting capacities needed to study atmospheric physico-chemical processes.

What expertise do the IMT Nord Europe researchers bring?

Thérèse Salameh IMT Nord Europe research teams have internationally recognized expertise in the field of reactive trace gases, which can lead to the formation of secondary compounds, such as ozone or secondary organic aerosols. IMT Nord Europe’s participation in this project is connected to its significant involvement in the ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace Gases Research InfraStructure) RI as a unit of the European Topical Center for reactive trace gases in situ measurements (CiGas). ACTRIS is a distributed RI bringing together laboratories of excellence and observation and exploration platforms, to support research on climate and air quality. It helps improve understanding of past, present and future changes in atmospheric composition and the physico-chemical processes that contribute to regional climate.

Who are the partners of RI-URBANS?

T.S. The project brings together 28 institutions (universities and research institutes) from 14 different countries. The three partners in France are the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS) and Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT). For this project, IMT Nord Europe researchers are collaborating in particular with Swiss federal laboratories for materials science and technology Empa, Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and INERIS.

The project has just been launched. What is the next step for IMT Nord Europe?

T.S. In the coming months, we will conduct an assessment collecting observation data for reactive trace gases potentially available in main European cities. We will then need to evaluate the quality and relevance of the collected information, before applying source apportionment models to identify the main sources of pollution in these European cities.

[1] This project is funded by Horizon 2020, the European Union framework program for research and innovation (H2020), with grant agreement ID 101036245. It is conjointly coordinated by CSIC (Spain) and University of Helsinki (Finland). Find out more.

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Easier access to research infrastructure for the European atmospheric science community
Atmospheric reactive trace gases: low concentrations, major consequences

Easier access to research infrastructure for the European atmospheric science community

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Improving access to large facilities for research on climate and air quality and optimizing use are the objectives of the European ATMO-ACCESS project. Véronique Riffault and Stéphane Sauvage, researchers at IMT Nord Europe, one of the project’s 38 partner institutions, explain the issues involved.

What was the context for developing the ATMO-ACCESS project?

Stéphane Sauvage – The ATMO-ACCESS project responds to a H2020-INFRAIA call for pilot projects specifically opened for certain research infrastructure (RI) targeted by the call, to facilitate access for a wide community of users and develop innovative access services that are harmonized at the European level.  

IMT Nord Europe’s participation in this project is connected to its significant involvement in the ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace Gases Research InfraStructure) RI. ACTRIS is a distributed RI bringing together laboratories of excellence and observation and exploration platforms, to support research on climate and air quality. It helps improve understanding of past, present and future changes in atmospheric composition and the physico-chemical processes that contribute to regional climate variability

What is the goal of ATMO-ACCESS?

S.S. – ATMO-ACCESS is intended for the extended atmospheric science community. It involves three RI: ACTRIS, ICOS and IAGOS, combining stationary and mobile observation and exploration platforms, calibration centers and data centers. It’s a pilot project aimed at developing a new model of integrating activities for this infrastructure, in particular by providing a series of recommendations for harmonized, innovative access procedures to help establish a sustainable overall framework .

What resources will be used to reach this goal?

S.S. – The project has received €15 million in funding , including €100 K for IMT Nord Europe where four research professors and a research engineer are involved. ATMO-ACCESS will provide scientific and industrial users with physical and remote access to 43 operational European atmospheric research facilities, including ground observation stations and simulation chambers as well as mobile facilities and calibration centers which are essential components of RI.

Why is it important to provide sustainable access to research facilities in the field of atmospheric science?

Véronique Riffault – The goal  is to optimize the use of large research facilities, pool efforts and avoid duplication for streamlining and environmental transition purposes, while promoting scientific excellence and maintaining a high level in the transfer of knowledge and expertise, international collaborations, training for young scientists and the contribution of RI to innovative technologies and economic development.

What role do IMT Nord Europe researchers play in this consortium?

V.R. – IMT Nord Europe researchers are responsible for developing virtual training tools for the users of these research facilities and their products. Within this scientific community, IMT Nord Europe has recognized expertise in developing innovative learning resources (Massive Open Online Course-MOOC, serious games), based on the resources the school has already created in collaboration with its Educational Engineering center, in particular a first MOOC in English on the causes and impacts of air pollution, and a serious game, which should be incorporated into a second module of this MOOC currently in development.

As part of ATMO-ACCESS, a pilot SPOC (Small Private Online Course) will present the benefits and issues related to this infrastructure and a serious game will apply the data proposed by observatories and stored in data centers, while video tutorials for certain instruments or methodologies will help disseminate good practices.

Who are your partners and how will you collaborate scientifically?

V.R. – The project is coordinated by CNRS and brings together 38 partner institutions from 19 European countries. We’ll be working with scientific colleagues from a variety of backgrounds: calibration centers responsible for ensuring measurement quality, data centers for the technical development of resources,  and of course, the community as a whole to best respond to expectations and  engage in a continuous improvement process. In addition to the academic world, other users will be able to benefit from the tools developed through the ATMO-ACCESS project: major international stakeholders and public authorities (ESA, EEA, EUMETSAT, EPA, governments, etc.) as well as the private sector.

The project launch meeting has just been held. What are the next important steps?

V.R. – That’s right, the project was launched in mid-May. The first meeting for the working group in which IMT Nord Europe is primarily involved is scheduled for after the summer break. Our first deliverable will be the interdisciplinary SPOC for atmospheric science, planned for less than two years from now. The project will also launch its first call for access to RI intended for atmosphere communities and beyond.

Interview by Véronique Charlet

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Atmospheric reactive trace gases: low concentrations, major consequences