WeBaSOOP aims to increase competencies, skills and scientific recognition of the partners, and of VINCA, IRMB and PHIB in particular. This will add value to novel research in air quality monitoring and assessment and source apportionment modelling through a set of activities leading to joint publications, joint submission of proposals for future funding, exchange of researchers and/or students for short-term visits, organization of- and participation in workshops and international conferences. Each of the included complementary research areas will identify the best suited modalities for achievement of the project goals.
The project will work provide actionable health relevant knowledge on ambient particulate matter. We aim to reduce or close knowledge gaps on the following aspects:
• Adoption of on-line and off-line monitoring of particle size distribution and of black carbon in an urban area (Belgrade) and in a hot spot urban-industrial area (Bor) of the Western Balkan.
• Adoption of monitoring and measurement methods for comprehensive chemical characterization of PM.
• Adoption of methods for assessment of OP of PM.
• Generation of comprehensive data on PM in an area that is not covered in current European infrastructures.
We will disseminate the results and information on our activities both to the general scientific community and to selected stakeholders outside the scientific community. We will encourage a broad participation of the scientific and professional community in Serbia, the widening country, in our activities, and open them to participation from Western Balkans. On the basis of collaboration with RI-URBANS, we will invite leading scientists for training.
Our focus on air quality and PM is in line with the high current societal focus on air pollution, and in line with core competencies of VINCA, IRMB and PHIB research groups. Local and regional challenges regarding air quality and health in Serbia and the Western Balkans area include high levels of atmospheric boundary layer PM and associated adverse effects, due to a combination of contributions from local pollution sources (centralized energy generation, local heating, transport, natural emissions of biogenic precursors). Serbia is adopting European legislation on air quality and will have to reduce the levels of PM in order to comply with this legislation, and effective air quality management requires to understand PM and associated effects.
WeBaSOOP responds to the need to substantially reduce air pollution and to engage in a strategy to evaluate the health impacts of air pollution. We will develop the necessary synergies between air quality monitoring and Research Infrastructures (RIs) ACTRISCTRIS and RI-URBANS and introduce advanced research-driven observations of aerosol properties nd innovative tools for more effective AQ monitoring and management, in a 2030 horizon timeline.