Special sessions

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on "Air pollution and health" with oral or poster presentations. Please select this topic, when submitting your abstract.

Chair: Prof. Jaakko Kukkonen, Finnish Meteorological Institute  
Co-Chair: Prof. Jorgen Brandt or Dr. Camilla Geels, Aarhus University, Denmark

Background and scope

The session will address the characteristics of air pollution that are relevant for health impact assessments, and the evaluation of the health impacts of air pollution. The first mentioned aspects include, e.g., the chemical composition of particular matter and studies on pollution sources that cause the impacts on human health.

The presentations can address effects for different target and population groups, and assess also the effects on the well-being and welfare of populations. The research can also be expected to result in policy options, proposing solutions to challenges on the public health and welfare.

Overall aims:

• to further understand the link between air pollution levels, the chemical composition of the pollution and the related health effects, and
• to investigate and assess the effects of air pollution on the distribution of related health impacts, socio-economics and welfare.

Topics included:

• evaluation of the characteristics of air pollution that are relevant for the health impacts
• air pollution with respect to chemical composition and pollution sources that can be used for evaluating the associated impacts on human health
• assessments of the health impacts of air pollution
• the public health costs, socio-economical effects and welfare, associated with air pollution.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on "Sensors, crowd sourcing and numerical simulations for urban air quality" with oral or poster presentations. Please select topic "Special session - Sensors, Crowd Sourcing and Numerical Simulations for urban air quality " when submitting your abstract.

Chair: Klaus Schäfer
Co-Chair: Nicolas Moussiopoulos

Background and scope

New developments in sensor techniques and data operation enable personal air pollution exposure determination as well as new conclusions about sources of air pollutants and for emission reduction measures. People can buy air pollution sensors – this brings science into society.

Symposium objectives are the exchange of information in the field of smart air quality networks as well as to discuss the possibilities to provide spatially complete information about urban air quality by online emission monitoring and corresponding near-real time numerical simulations at the small scale. We are looking for new applications and research ideas.

Topics included:

• Sensor development for air pollutants, bioaerosols/Pollen/Fungi, meteorological parameters
• determination of personal sensing of air pollution and bioaerosols / Pollen / Fungi exposure: handling interferences (humidity), temperature influence, sensor positioning, data checking and transfer, data assimilation, application of Big Data / Internet of Things / Open Source algorithms
• guidelines for new sensors and networks: operation, QA/QC procedures
• integration of different measurement platforms (monitoring data from the ground, UAVs and satellites), methodologies and parameters for online emission monitoring and near-real time numerical simulations of air pollution and bioaerosols / Pollen / Fungi exposure of high temporal and spatial resolution
• combined sensor based, complementary numerical simulations
• data assimilation of air quality sensors in numerical simulations
• validation and data assimilation of air quality sensors using numerical simulations
• development of traffic management systems on the basis of information about personal air pollution exposure – measurements and numerical simulations: application of data assimilation algorithms
• teaching people in sensor handling, air pollution and data application
• general acceptance of new high-resolution monitoring networks for air quality determination and prediction, environmental medicine and health protection.

This session will be organised in cooperation with and based on several current or recently finalised international projects, e.g. SAQN (Smart Air Quality Network) and AIRTHINGS (Fostering resource efficiency and climate change resilience through community based Air Quality Internet of Things).

The session is open to all contributions related to the above mentioned topics. All submitted abstracts will be peer reviewed according to the normal procedures of the conference and selected papers will be encouraged for a publication in an international scientific journal (e.g. ATMENV, ACP or AAQR…) referring to this AQ2020 special session.

When submitting your abstract, please select the topic "Special session - Air Pollution in Urban Areas - Science Challenges and Policy Implications”

Chairs: Professors Ranjeet S Sokhi, University of Hertfordshire, UK, and Alexander Baklanov, World Meteorological Organisation/Global Atmospheric Watch Programme

Coordinating panel: Ranjeet S Sokhi (GURME), Vincent-Henri Peuch (APP SAG), Guy Brasseur (MAP AQ), Rajesh Kumar (MAP AQ) and Johaness Flemming (GAFIS), Alexander Baklanov (WMO/GAW Sectretariat)

Background and scope

With increasing urbanisation, exposure to outdoor air pollution is increasing in most cities across the globe. Air quality within urban areas is determined by complex interactions between emissions of air pollution from a large number of sources, urban and regional meteorology and chemistry, urban form and design as well as air pollution exchange with the surrounding areas though long range transport. Over the longer term, changes in climate will also affect air pollution concentrations within cities and towns.

This session will focus on the advances in our understanding of the sources, transport and transformations processes that operate on multiple scales and determine air quality and its impacts within the urban environment. How regional and global contributions influence urban air quality will also be an important aspect of the Session. As science advances, the implications for formulating new measures and policy development to reduce the impact of air pollution on human health will be key areas for discussion. The session will bring together air quality researchers, stakeholders and policy makers to address the latest advances to meet the above challenges. In particular, it will bring together activities of a large number projects and networks focusing on global air quality and meteorology across the globe.

Topics included:

• sources and transformations of air pollution affecting urban areas
• measurement of air pollution – emerging techniques and field applications
• modelling of air pollution on multiscales - local, regional and global contributions affecting air quality of cities
• innovative systems to predict, forecast and control air pollution in global urban areas
• international applications of research and operational air quality forecasting systems
• integrated assessment approaches for managing and reducing air pollution in towns and cities
• role of urban features and processes that affect urban meteorology and air pollution
• urban air quality policy modelling as a function of different urban features
• influence of climate on future air pollution trends in global urban areas
• implementation of new measures to curb air pollution in towns and cities
• policy developments and solutions to improve urban air quality
• interactions air pollution, meteorology and climate change.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on "Shipping and air quality" with oral or poster presentations. Please select this topic, when submitting your abstract.

Chair: Leonidas Ntziachristos, Aristotle University Thessaloniki  Co-Chair: Volker Matthias, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht

Background and scope

Shipping emissions receive increasing attention in coastal areas and port cities. This is both because shipping activity is on the rise and also because stringent emissions control technologies for road vehicles seem to eventually deliver reductions. The session aims at collecting and presenting the latest evidence on shipping contributions to air pollution, especially in the light of the new global sulphur cap and NOx emission control areas in the EU.

The presentations can cover both maritime and inland navigation and their impacts. Studies both from the research, the relevant industry community and policy makers are welcome.

Overall aims:

• to assess the current and future significance of maritime and inland shipping on air quality
• to provide scientific evidence to policy makers for next steps in regulatory control.

Topics included:

• assessment of shipping emissions and their contribution to air quality in different scales
• exposure assessment to shipping emissions vis-à-vis other sources
• estimates on the effectiveness of latest regulatory initiatives
• primary and secondary particulate matter from ships including particle numbers and black carbon
• the effectiveness of emission control options and fuels
• shipping monitoring and emissions enforcement.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on “Observation, Modelling and Assessment in the Arctic-Boreal Domain” with oral or poster presentations. Please, select this topic, when submitting your abstract.

Chairs: Acad Markku Kulmala and Dr. Hanna K. Lappalainen (University of Helsinki, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, Finland)

Coordinating panel: Prof Tuukka Petaja and Dr. Alexander Mahura (University of Helsinki, Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research, Finland), Dr. Xavier Querol (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research, Spain)

Background and scope

The Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) is a multi-disciplinary, multi-scale and multi-component climate change, air quality, environment and research infrastructure and capacity building programme. It is originated from a bottom-up approach by the science community, and is aimed at resolving major uncertainties in Earth system science and global sustainability issues concerning the Arctic and boreal Pan-Eurasian regions as well as China. The programme solves interlinked grand challenges influencing human well-being and societies in Northern Eurasia and China, by establishing and maintaining long-term, coherent and coordinated research activities as well as continuous, comprehensive research and educational infrastructures. The PEEX approach is integrative and interdisciplinary, recognising the important role of the Arctic and boreal ecosystems in the Earth system, and understanding that solutions to the interconnected environmental problems can be provided only by a harmonised and holistic comprehensive observational approach utilising all available modelling tools representing different spatial and temporal scales.

However, the session is open to all researchers and users, whom are interested in scientific issues such as air quality, climate change, biodiversity loss, chemicalisation, etc. as well as in-situ and satellite observations and multi-scale modelling of atmospheric composition as well as multi-level assessment on environment and population of the Northern Eurasia and China.

This session scope and aims to bring together researchers and users interested to (i) understand the Earth system and influence of environmental and other changes in pristine and industrialized Pan-Eurasian environments (system understanding); (ii) determine relevant environmental, climatic, and other processes in the Arctic-boreal regions (process understanding); (iii) maintain long-term, continuous and comprehensive ground-based, air/seaborne research infrastructures together with satellite data (observation component); (iv) develop new datasets and archives with continuous, comprehensive data flows in a joint manner (data component); (v) implement validated and harmonized data products in models of appropriate spatial and temporal scales and topical focus (modeling component).

Topics included:

• ground-based and satellite measurements for atmospheric composition, datasets with observations for Norther Eurasia and China regions
• impacts on environment and ecosystems as well as on human health due to atmospheric transport, dispersion, deposition and chemical transformations of air pollutants in the Arctic-boreal regions
• new approaches and methods on measurements and modelling in Arctic conditions
• improvements in natural and anthropogenic emission inventories for Arctic-boreal regions
• atmospheric physical and chemical processes in a northern context
• aerosol formation, radiative forcing and feedbacks in Arctic regions, Siberia and China
• short lived pollutants and climate forcers, permafrost effects, forest fires effects
• carbon monoxide and methane, ecosystem carbon cycle.

This session will be organised by the Pan-Eurasian Experiment (PEEX) Programme in cooperation with the Russian Federation Government Megagrant “Megapolis - heat and pollution island: interdisciplinary hydroclimatic, geochemical and ecological analysis”, Academy of Finland “Atmosphere and Climate Competence Center” and Horizon-2020 “Research Infrastructures Services Reinforcing Air Quality Monitoring Capacities in European Urban & Industrial AreaS” projects.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on "Green Mobility in Smart Cities and Impact on Pollutant Emissions and Air Quality" with oral or postal presentations.

Chair: Prof Socrates Basbas, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
Co-Chair: Dr Alexandros Nikitas, University of Huddersfield, UK

Background and scope

Car-centric planning is widely recognised as underpinning an air-polluting, energy-wasting and unhealthy century-long mobility paradigm. This is a flawed one-sided paradigm that ought to change as the need for climate change action and improved air quality becomes day by day more urgent. Transport decarbonisation measures on the one hand, and smart mobility initiatives on the other, all capable of crafting a new travel behaviour ethos need to become the decisive pillars of a transition to low carbon futures. Transport researchers should contribute actively to this quest meaning to recalibrate our travel eco-systems. They can do that by identifying ways that transport systems can become smarter, more sustainable, fairer, more inclusive and cleaner and by evaluating and quantifying, when this is possible, transport policy implementation impact.

The presentations can cover a wide range of green mobility initiatives that have the potential to help developing a pathway to a net zero emission vision.

Overall aim:

To provide scientific evidence to policy-makers and mobility providers for next steps that will support’s transport decarbonisation and enrich the sustainable transport research state of the art.

Topics included:

We invite presentations based on sustainable mobility studies around:

• Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans
• electric and hybrid vehicles
• smart public transport
• smart logistics and freight
• mobility-as-a-Service
• micromobility
• walking
• cycling
• eco driving
• autonomous Vehicles
• urban air mobility
• transport and air quality.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on "Practical and usable solutions to air pollution" with oral or poster presentations. Please select this topic, when submitting your abstract.

Chair: Stefan Reis, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom

Co-Chairs: Noel Nelson (UK MetOffice, UK), David Carruthers (CERC, UK), Gavin Shaddick (University of Exeter, UK), Tom Gardiner (National Physical Laboratory, UK).

Background and scope

The special session will specifically focus on solutions to addressing air pollution in a wider context, from outdoor air quality to indoor air pollution, and from emissions to modelling and health impact assessments due to exposure to outdoor and indoor air pollutants. This work is currently undertaken across a wide range of projects funded through the UK Research and Innovation’s Strategic Priority Fund (SPF) on Clean Air.

Oral presentations and posters can address the breadth of topics funded under Waves 1 and 2 of the UKRI Clean Air SPF and affiliated programmes, e.g. the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) Air Quality Network (SAQN). The session will provide both opportunities for sharing and discussing key scientific findings within the programme, and even more importantly for wider, international dissemination and scientific exploration of collaboration opportunities with the wider air quality community outside of the UK.

Overall aim

• forging a multi- and interdisciplinary research community, including outreach activities
• generating new knowledge to influence policy, regulation and behaviour
• supporting the development of innovative products and services.
• Expanded and coordinated capability for solutions for Clean Air – in the UK and beyond
• building an improved evidence base for focussed and prioritised policy decisions on emissions reductions, health protection and infrastructure development
• inform quantitative and qualitative methods for uncertainty assessment and communication across domains and disciplines
• fostering innovation in policy and regulation to protect public health resulting in improved public health
• enabling stakeholders and the public to access and use clear and trusted information on air quality and health impacts
• facilitating growth in clean air industry sector in the UK and export opportunities created abroad, leading to clean growth globally
• facilitate cost savings to health services and businesses through avoided health impacts.

The session is open for submissions from activities currently or previously funded under the UKRI SPF Clean Air, the SAQN and other relevant projects.

You are kindly invited to contribute to the special session on "Helmholtz European Partnership for Technological Advancement (HEPTA)" with oral or postal presentations.

Chairs: Prof. Johannes Orphal, Head of Division 4“Natural and Built Environment”, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, and Prof. Nicolas Moussiopoulos, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Greece

Background and scope:

HEPTA promotes collaboration between the Aristotle University Thessaloniki (AUTh) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in the development of sustainable technologies in the areas of air quality, atmospheric physics, biomass and smart cities. HEPTA has three goals: Firstly, it aims to establish a formal connection between AUTh and KIT which focusses on developing technology while giving special consideration to the most important research topics in the fields of climate, energy and the environment. Its second goal is to support young researchers at both institutions, strictly ensuring an equal balance between female and male researchers. Finally, the project partners want to take a long-term perspective as they build on the cooperation between the two institutions. This will enable them to work more rapidly with the industrial sector to transfer the results of their research into specific applications.

The topic of this special session is to demonstrate how AUTh and KIT, based on their well-developed strategies and networks, enable new careers in both countries, careers that connect university research at AUTh and KIT and advanced technology development in industry.

The overall aim is:

To advance technologies in the important topics air quality, atmospheric physics, biomass and smart cities and to learn from each other how to progress in particular concerning innovation and technology transfer.

List of topics included in this special session:

We  invite presentations related to the four HEPTA areas (air quality, atmospheric physics, biomass and smart cities).

Contact details:

Dr.Peter Bremer, Domain Manager “Research and Strategy” Programme
Division4 “Natural and Built Environment”
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz
1D-76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen
Tel.: +49 721 608 28595
E-Mail: peter.bremer@kit.edu