Fes el Canvi, Be Plastic Free

The "Fes el Canvi, Be Plastic Free" project is a citizen science project, which consists of the assessment and social awareness of human exposure to chemical compounds added to plastics, the plasticizers, through the participation of students aged 12 to 16 from Escola Solc in Barcelona. The starting point is to evaluate the amount of these plasticizer additives to which their bodies are exposed by wearing a bracelet for 24 hours and taking of a urine sample. In this way, the incorporation of inhaled and ingested plasticizer compounds is made visible and related to the daily life habits of the students. Once the results are obtained, several co-creative workshops will be held to reduce the use and exposure to plasticizing chemical compounds from plastics.

"Fes el canvi, Be Plastic Free" is presented as a collaborative project between the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), the Solc School, and the Zero Waste BCN organization.
This project has as an innovative element the fact that the students do not only provide and analyze data but are their own subjects of scientific study, also contributing to co-creating activities and dynamics to reduce the use of plastic materials.

Funded by the Barcelona City Council:
Convocatòria de subvencions per al desenvolupament de projectes en el marc de l’emergència climàtica de la ciutat de Barcelona 2022(22S06957-001)

Research Infrastructures Services Reinforcing Air Quality Monitoring Capacities in European Urban & Industrial AreaS

The project aims to demonstrate how service tools from atmospheric research infrastructures can be adapted and enhanced to better address the challenges and societal needs concerning air quality in European cities and industrial hotspots. RI-URBANS responds to urgent needs to substantially reduce air pollution across the European Union by providing enhanced air quality observations in support of advanced air quality policy assessment.

We develop and enhance synergies between Air Quality Monitoring Networks (AQMNs) and research infrastructures in the atmospheric domain and combine advanced scientific knowledge and innovative technologies to develop pilot service tools. These will enhance the AQMNs capacity to evaluate, predict and support policies for abating urban air pollution. RI-URBANS deploys tools and information systems in the hands of citizens and communities to support decision-making by AQ managers and regulators. The focus is on ambient nanoparticles and atmospheric particulate matter, their sizes, constituents, source contributions, and gaseous precursors. RI-URBANS will evaluate novel air quality parameters, source contributions, and their associated health effects to demonstrate the European added value of implementing such service tools.

Funded by the European Commission’s call “European Research Infrastructures capacities and services to address European Green Deal challenges (LC-GD-9-1-2020)”