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April RI-URBANS Webinar Marked Launch of 17 Novel Air Quality Documents

On April 16th, RI-URBANS hosted a successful webinar to announce the release of 16 Service Tools (STs) and a booklet summarizing their purpose and the added value of implementing them. The event attracted 237 participants from research institutes, universities, and various stakeholder organizations. The webinar opened with a presentation by Xavier Querol (RI-URBANS PI), who introduced the project, outlined the newly launched Service Tools, and provided an overview of the “Summary and Added Value” booklet. In the second half, Co-PI Tuukka Petäjä discussed the collaboration between RI-URBANS, ACTRIS, AQUILA, the European Environment Agency (EEA), and EMEP, highlighting joint training initiatives. The session concluded with an engaging discussion between the PIs and the audience. Watch the webinar and access the presentation slides below: Webinar Video Presentation by Xavier Querol Presentation by Tuukka Petäjä  

By |2025-04-17T12:41:00+00:00April 17, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

RI-URBANS Webinar (16th April 2025): Launch of 17 Guidance Documents for Novel Air Quality Pollutants

We are pleased to invite you to a special RI-URBANS webinar to present 17 published guidance documents supporting the implementation of advanced measurements and modelling techniques for novel air quality (AQ) pollutants. This event is part of the EU Horizon 2020 project RI-URBANS, in connection with the new European Air Quality Directive (EU) 2024/2881. The webinar will provide a brief introduction to RI-URBANS, the Service Tools (STs) and the “Summary and Added Value” booklet.  They provide actionable recommendations for supersites, including guidance on measurements, source apportionment, health assessment, mapping, and modelling. Date: 16 April 2025Time: 10:00 – 11:30 CEST Agenda: Check out the agenda Online link: Join the webinar Contact details: Xavier Querol (xavier.querol@idaea.csic.es) Tuukka Petäjä (tuukka.petaja@helsinki.fi)

By |2025-04-08T12:47:26+00:00April 7, 2025|newspost|0 Comments

Italian Stakeholder Meeting on Air Quality: RI-URBANS Workshop in Rome (April 7-8, 2025)

Rome, April 7-8, 2025 – The upcoming Italian Stakeholder Meeting  will bring together key players in air quality research and policy at the National Research Council in Rome. This crucial workshop, aims to foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and environmental agencies to advance air quality monitoring and management in Italy and across Europe. As part of the RI-URBANS project, the workshop will provide a platform for Italian stakeholders to engage in discussions on the latest developments in air quality standards and strategies. The event will focus on the dissemination of RI-URBANS Service Tools (STs), which are designed to enhance urban air quality monitoring by integrating advanced measurement techniques and modeling approaches. By bringing together national and regional stakeholders, this workshop will strengthen cooperation and pave the way for improved air quality management strategies in Italy and beyond. Interested onsite participants are encouraged to register via the following link: Register Here. The event could be also followed remotely via this link Here you can find the agenda for the meeting. Notice: Presentations and discussions will be mostly in Italian. For more information or if you experience any issues accessing the link, please contact Nicola Gianluca Di Fiore (nicolagialnuca.difiore@cnr.it).  

By |2025-04-02T17:55:33+00:00April 2, 2025|newspost|0 Comments

Successful Launch of 2nd International Intercomparison of Oxidative Potential Protocols

We are thrilled to announce that the 2nd International Intercomparison of Oxidative Potential Protocols has officially been launched on March 25th! This significant initiative, involving a broad network of experts, is a collaborative effort under the frameworks of RI-Urbans and ACTRIS. With 29 laboratories participating, the intercomparison is set to provide valuable insights into the consistency and reliability of oxidative potential measurement protocols. Most of the sample parcels have already reached their designated destinations, the results will be coming soon. Following this, the data will undergo comprehensive analysis by the Joint Research Centre (JRC).  

By |2025-03-27T15:21:12+00:00March 27, 2025|newspost|0 Comments

New RI-URBANS publication evaluates Aethalometer data to optimize absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) values for eBC source apportionment

This study led by Marjan Savadkoohi evaluates the Absorption Ångström Exponent (AAE) approach for equivalent black carbon (eBC) source apportionment, addressing its strengths and limitations when distinguishing between liquid and solid fuels sources. Using a comprehensive multi-site dataset across Europe, this study recommend an optimized methodology for determining site-specific AAE values, enhancing the accuracy of eBC source attribution across diverse environments. Key Findings:  Site-specific AAE calibration significantly improves eBC source differentiation.  Constant AAE values lead to misclassification, especially in regions with high brown carbon (BrC) contributions. The integration of chemical tracers and multi-wavelength absorption data is essential for refining optical source apportionment. This research provides valuable insights for air quality monitoring, emission regulation, and climate modeling. Check out the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121121

By |2025-03-12T08:33:53+00:00March 12, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

New RI-URBANS Publication Explores Source-Dependent Absorption Ångström Exponent in Los Angeles

This study led by Marjan Savadkoohi examines two locations in the Los Angeles Basin—Central LA (CELA) and Rubidoux (RIVR)—leveraging comprehensive PM2.5 chemical speciation datasets and aerosol absorption coefficients measured by an Aethalometer (AE33). Through multi-time source apportionment (MT-PMF), the research uncovers factor profiles and temporal variations, providing critical insights into source-specific characteristics of fine particulate matter. By overcoming the limitations of a priori assumptions in Aethalometer optical apportionment, this work advances our understanding of urban air pollution sources and their dynamic behavior. Check out the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.178095

By |2025-02-13T09:04:33+00:00February 13, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Follow-up: Third Training on Harmonized Measurements of Emerging Pollutants Focused on Equivalent Black Carbon

The RI-URBANS training series on the harmonized measurements of emerging pollutants continues! In collaboration with AQUILA, ACTRIS, and the EEA, we recently held our third training session focusing on Equivalent Black Carbon on 11th January 2025. During this session, experts provided in-depth discussions on the critical role of Equivalent Black Carbon (BC) monitoring,  advanced methodologies for BC measurment,  scientific and regulatory value of BC data, the mandatory measurement requirements at supersites, and best practices for quality assurance and control reinforcing the session align with the new EU Air Quality Directive (2024/2881). you can now access the Slides & Video from the third training event. Detailed agenda and links for all the training sessions can be found here. For more information please contact Tuukka Petäjä (tuukka.petaja@helsinki.fi) and Xavier Querol (xavier.querol@idaea.csic.es)

By |2025-02-12T08:13:25+00:00February 11, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Follow-up: Second Training on Harmonized Measurements of Emerging Pollutants

The RI-URBANS training series on the harmonized measurements of emerging pollutants continues! In collaboration with AQUILA, ACTRIS, and the EEA, we recently held our second training session focusing on Aerosol Particle Number Size Distribution on 27th January 2025. This session covered key methodologies for measuring particle size distributions, aligning with the new EU Air Quality Directive (2024/2881). A big thank you to all participants for their engagement! You can now access the Slides & Video from the second training event. Upcoming Training #3: Equivalent Black Carbon Date: 11th February 2025 Time: 09:30 – 11:30 CET Detailed agenda and links for all the training sessions can be found here. For more information please contact Tuukka Petäjä (tuukka.petaja@helsinki.fi) and Xavier Querol (xavier.querol@idaea.csic.es)

By |2025-01-29T18:55:20+00:00January 29, 2025|Uncategorized|0 Comments

A series of training events addressing harmonized measurements of emerging pollutants of the new air quality directive

In November 2024 Directive (EU) 2024/2881 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe has been published. This is connected to the European Union's objective towards zero pollution by 2050 facilitating prevention of premature deaths due to air pollution. The new air quality directive merges the 2004 and 2008 legislation and responds to the World Health Organization recommendations on lower guideline standards and to monitor additional air pollutants, such as Ultrafine Particle (UFP) and Black Carbon (BC) concentrations. The European Member States have two years to transpose the requirements of the new air quality directive. RI-URBANS co-organizes a series of training events addressing harmonized measurements of emerging pollutants of the new air quality directive with the Network of Air Quality Reference Laboratories (AQUILA), Aerosols, Clouds and TRace gases Research InfraStructure (ACTRIS) and European Environmental Agency (EEA). The training is organized in a series of on-line sessions concentrating on different aspects of the emerging pollutants and air quality directive requirements. Schedule: Training #1: 23.1. 2025 09:30 – 11:30 CET     Aerosol particle number concentration Training #2: 27.1. 2025 09:30 – 11:30 CET     Aerosol particle number size distribution Training #3: 11.2. 2025 09:30 – 11:30 CET     Equivalent Black Carbon More details: Detailed agenda and links for all the training sessions can be found here. Please check out the Slides and Video for the first Training event. For more information please contact Tuukka Petäjä (tuukka.petaja@helsinki.fi) and Xavier Querol (xavier.querol@idaea.csic.es)  

By |2025-03-12T10:41:52+00:00January 24, 2025|events, newspost, Uncategorized|0 Comments

The RI-URBANS 3rd Science Meeting held in Helsinki to discuss the progress of the project

A total of 135 participants from 55 organisations attended the 3rd scientific  meeting in a hybrid format The 3rd RI-URBANS Science Meeting successfully took place in Helsinki, Finland on September 25-26, 2023, bringing together 47 onsite and 77 online attendees from 55 institutions worldwide, including notable organizations such as EMEP, WMO, WHO, ACTRIS, IAGOS, and ICOS. Revision of the 2nd reporting period, updates of the work packages (WPs), and the display of open data and service tools were some of the topics that were covered As this event represented the mid-term project meeting, several important topics were addressed: Summery of research outputs: from WPs since the 2nd Science Meeting  (2023 – 2024) Developed RI-URBANS Service Tools and their applications (RI-URBANS provides 16 advanced Service Tools to meet the demands of new and complex urban air quality scenarios and enhance the analysis of air quality). Guidance documents (Art 10, Annex 7 of new EU AQ directive) for implementing advanced AQ parameters (UPF, PSD, BC, NH3, VOCs, PM speciation, source apportionment, evaluation of health effects). Added value of measuring the listed above AQ parameters at Pan-European scale in urban areas. Open access to RI-URBANS compiled data.    

By |2024-10-03T08:09:59+00:00October 3, 2024|newspost, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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