One of ECOMAPS’ ambitious objectives is to identify potential new atmospheric pollutants resulting from human activity and their possible degradation products.
During the laboratory experiments carried out in the early stages of the project, the researchers identified compounds – known as by-products – resulting from the breakdown of other substances by sunlight (photodegradation) and from synergistic interactions with other compounds normally present in the air, such as nitrogen oxides.
Armed with this knowledge, the researchers took it a step further by asking whether these substances – observed in the laboratory but never previously studied – are already present in the air we breathe. To this end, they devised a plan for the daily sampling of PM2.5 atmospheric particulate matter.
The two-month sampling campaign will conclude at the end of July; it has been carried out in parallel in Italy, at the urban site of Mestre in collaboration with ARPAV, and in Slovenia, at a suburban site (Sostro) and a rural site (Mali Lipoglav).
The sampling will enable detailed information to be gathered on air pollution at the monitoring sites involved. The samples collected will be analysed using high-performance analytical techniques to detect the contaminants obtained in the laboratory.
