EGAR belongs to the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA) from the Spanish Research Council (CSIC). EGAR team develops research on atmospheric aerosols and gaseous pollutant with a combined air quality and climate focus. We carry also research on industrial emissions of trace pollutants and industrial waste management.
Other objectives of this research group are the study of the environmental impact of coal utilization and on the valorization of combustion/gasification by-products.
EGAR research on Air Quality aims at understanding the chemical and physical processes responsible for the emission, transport, fate and removal of atmospheric pollutants with impact on human health and vegetation. The main objective is to investigate measures (technological and non-technological) to reduce emissions, concentrations or human exposure.
Atmospheric aerosols affect the radiative balance of the Earth-atmosphere system and the Earth’s climate directly through scattering and absorption of solar radiation. Indirectly, by acting as cloud condensation nuclei, atmospheric aerosols can modify cloud properties and precipitation. Our aim is interpreting optical aerosol radiative effects as a function of their chemical and physical patterns and source contributions.
Major knowledge gaps remain regarding exposure to fine and ultrafine particles in indoor, commuting and outdoor environments. Our aim is investigating the pathways of human exposure to air pollutants in both types of environments, and to understanding and quantifying the contribution of different sources to outdoor, commuting and indoor exposure.
Industrial emissions from large industrial facilities (coal-fired power plants, ceramic and cement industry, refineries) are important sources of air pollutants (SOx, NOx, and particulate matter (PM)) producing also significant emissions to water and soil. We develop research on characterising emissions of trace pollutants with a major environmental impact and devising and testing the efficiency of emission abatement controls.
Since the earlier 1980s we develop research on environmental valorisation of industrial wastes with special emphasis on coal combustion/gasification residues. These wastes may be hazardous and we devise and test the efficiency of valorisation processes as well as pollutants immobilisation strategies in case of waste disposal.
Permanent Research Staff
Postdocs Research Staff
PhD Student
Technical Staff
CAPTOR
Together with researchers and European citizens CAPTOR aims to – install and maintain a network of low-costs sensors for Ozone measurement with and for European citizens – deliver high quality, low cost and valid Ozone data from the sensor network – support processes of discussion and learning on local level to find solutions to Ozone problems (involving local decision makers, citizens, organisations and researchers) – actively involve and empower European citizens to stimulate ownership and responsibility
Start Date: 01/12/18
FRAGMENT
Frontiers in dust mineralogical composition and its effects upon climate
Start Date: 01/10/18
MAPAMA-Air Quality
Detección de episodios naturales de aportes transfronterizos de partículas y otras fuentes de contaminación de material particulado, y de formación de ozono troposférico
Start Date: 01/01/18
CLEANAIR
The evidence that air pollution is a global threat to human health and climate is convincing, yet >400000 Europeans still die prematurely each year because of air pollution. Effective policies to reduce population exposure must efficiently target specific emission sources, as opposed to bulk particle mass (PM2.5). Recent research quantified the relative risk functions for specific aerosol types such as black carbon (BC), aerosol sources, and ultrafine particles (UFPs), which were until now only available for bulk PM. This sets the necessary framework to move beyond the state of the art and quantify the source-specific health burden of particulate air pollutants at European-scale.
Start Date: 01/01/18
WHO Systematic review of health effect of biomass burning, road dust and desert dust
WHO Syrtematic review on health effects of biomass burning, road dust and desert dust to support the current review of WGO Air Quality Guidelines
Start Date: 01/06/17
COLOSSAL
European Project
COST Action CA16109 Chemical On-Line cOmpoSition and Source Apportionment of fine aerosoL (COLOSSAL)
Start Date: 03/03/17
Guidebook of measures to improve urban air quality
This project, funded by AXA Reseacrh Fund, presents the results of the AIRUSE LIFE Project (LIFE11 ENV/ES/584) offering a state-of-the-art compilation of measures to improve air quality in cities (www.airuse.eu).
Start Date: 01/03/17
New ICP-MS
Sistema de Espectrometría de Masas con Fuente de Plasma Acoplado Inductivamente. Dir. General de Investigación y Gestión Del Plan Nacional I+D, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación y Agenciqa Estatal CSIC. CSIC15-EE-3218.
Start Date: 01/01/17
ACTRIS PPP ACTRIS Preparatory Phase Project
ACTRIS PPP (Aerosols, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure Preparatory Phase Project) is a European Project supported by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Coordination and Support Action (INFRADEV-02-2016)
Start Date: 01/01/17
inDust
European Project
The overall objective of inDust is to establish a network involving research institutions, service providers and potential end users of information on airborne dust that can assist the diverse socio-economic sectors affected by the presence of high concentrations of airborne mineral dust.
Start Date: 01/01/17
BUSAIR
Identification of factors affecting the quality of the air we breathe in urban transport buses. (BUSAIR)
Start Date: 31/12/16
HOUSE
Episodes of high levels of ozone, ultrafine particles and secondary aerosols in urban and regional background environments in the NE of Spain.
Start Date: 01/12/16
ECO-BRAKE
The main goal of Eco-BRAKE is the research on new materials for passenger cars brake pads with reduced emissions of particulate matter and heavy metals and metalloids, given their high health impact.
Start Date: 01/10/16
PREDEXPIN
Start Date: 01/01/16
CERASAFE
CERASAFE proposes an integrated approach to environmental health and safety (EHS) in the ceramic industry
Start Date: 01/11/15
IMPROVE LIFE+
IMPROVE LIFE+ : Implementing Methodologies and Practices to Reduce air pollution Of the subway enVironmEnt
Start Date: 01/04/14
MCC Collaborative Research Network
The Multi-City Multi-Country (MCC) network is an international collaboration of research teams working on a program aiming to produce epidemiological evidence on associations between weather and health. Interest on this topic has grown in the last few years among both researchers and the general public, due to recent events of extreme weather and alarming climate change scenarios, both linked with increased health risks.
Start Date: 01/01/14
AIRUSE
AIRUSE provides National Authorities of Southern European countries with appropriate measures to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in air.
Start Date: 13/12/13
Estudio y evaluación de la contaminación atmosférica por material particulado metales en España
Estudio y evaluación de la contaminación atmosférica por material particulado metales en España Ref:13CAES006
Start Date: 10/12/13
HEXACOMM
European Project
Human EXposure to Aerosol COntaminants in Modern Microenvironments (HEXACOMM)
Start Date: 01/01/13
METRO
Caracterizacion fisico: Inhalables en el aire ambiente del Metro suburbano (METRO)
Start Date: 01/01/13
BREATHE
European Project
BRain dEvelopment and Air polluTion ultrafine particles in scHool childrEn (BREATHE)
Start Date: 01/08/11
VAMOS
Variabilidad temporal y espacial de Aerosoles en el Mediterráneo Occidental: combinación de instrumentación de última generación en caracterización de aerosoles a nivel de Superficie (VAMOS)
Start Date: 01/01/11
AIRMONTECH
European Project
Air Quality Monitoring Technologies for Urban Areas (AIRMONTECH)
Start Date: 01/12/10
Estudio y evaluación de la contaminación atmosférica por material particulado y metales en España
Estudio y evaluación de la contaminación atmosférica por material particulado y metales en España. Ref: 2009020083
Start Date: 08/06/10
SAPUSS
Solving Aerosol Problem by Using Synergistic Strategies in Barcelona, Spain (SAPUSS)
Start Date: 01/01/10
DOASUR
Discriminación del origen de loa aserosoles atmosféricos a escala urbana y regional (DOASUR)
Start Date: 01/01/07
Estudio y evaluación de la contaminación atmosférica por material particulado y metales en España
Estudio y evaluación de la contaminación atmosférica por material particulado y metales en España.