- This study aims to investigate the amount and toxicity of ultrafine particles derived from road, air, aviation and rail traffic
- Along with Valencia, the cities of Stockholm, Milan, Thessaloniki and Barcelona are participating in this study
Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) is taking part in the nPETS project, funded by the European Commission, whose main objective is to investigate the quantity and toxicity of ultrafine particles (less than 100 nm in size) emitted by road, air, rail and maritime traffic.
The study is being carried out by the Environmental Geochemistry and Atmospheric Research (EGAR) group, which is part of the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), part of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Valencia is one of the cities participating in this study along with Stockholm, Milan, Thessaloniki and Barcelona.
The managing director of FGV, Alfonso Novo, has shown how pleased he is about the possibility of collaborating in this project and has pointed out that “Colón station has been chosen to obtain data, as it is one of the busiest facilities in the network”.
He also explained that “the measurements obtained at the Colón station over the next few weeks can be compared with those obtained in other cities and subsequently we will be able to design more effective measures to reduce the impact on public health of these ultrafine particles derived from the different means of transport”.
nPETS study
The nPETS project aims to study the lifetime of sub-100 nm emissions from their creation to their potential pathway to humans and animals.
Innovative methods are also being developed to measure toxicity in all modes of transport. There are currently no methods to measure these sub-100 nm particulate emissions from various individual sources.
The IDAEA-CSIC research team has developed new strategies for chemical characterisation and monitoring of air pollution, focusing on aerosols but also including semi-volatile organic species such as persistent organic pollutants, commonly abused drugs and gaseous pollutants.
