SMF CONSPIRO - Breathing Together for Cleaner Air

Project SMF CONSPIRO website and Facebook page.

Objective of the project: Measuring air pollution in selected settlements and raising awareness to improve the existing pollution situation.

The international project SMF CONSPIRO – Breathing Together for Cleaner Air will help improve air quality during the heating season in Central and Eastern Europe.

The project, supported by the Interreg Danube programme, is being implemented by a consortium of Charles University (CZ), SCIENCE IN (CZ), ZRC SAZU (SI), National Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (BG), and Heidelberg University of Education (DE).
This international activity aims to measure air pollution caused by home heating in municipalities and try to improve the current situation through education and communication with public. The project consortium will use the acquired experience to develop a long-term strategic concept for improving air quality in central and eastern parts of Europe.

A combination of methods will be used for measurements (professional air quality monitors, low-cost monitors – used by citizens themselves, measurements of vertical profiles and spatial distribution of pollution using drones and airships, as well as direct sampling of pollution for chemical analysis); the awareness campaign will include public discussions, educational programs in schools, and training of local government representatives.
Among other educational and awareness-raising resources, e.g. films and 3D animations on the topic, will be available to increase public interest and start wide range public discussion in the countries involved.

Pollution from just one smoking chimney can affect the air of an entire village.

In some parts of Europe, pollution from domestic heating reaches extreme levels. Pictured is smog in the mountain resort of Bansko, Bulgaria.

The airship of the Laboratory for the Study of Air Quality at the Institute for Environment Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, is used to determine the dynamics of vertical air pollution profiles.

A simple low-cost air quality monitor is available for municipalities and schools. It allows citizens to measure air quality themselves, in a form of "citizen science". The data will also help to get a better idea of the extent of pollution in small settlements.

The created low-cost air quality monitor offers a wide range of uses, e.g., measuring vertical pollution profiles in inversion situations with use of drones.

Mobile laboratory of the University of Bundeswehr Munich will be used, among other things, also for direct chemical analyses of air samples

Photos: Tereza Mares, Petr Mares, MORE UniBw, CONSPIRO

Programme:
Danube Transnational Programme – Seed Money Facility (SMF)