The Horizon-2020 RI-URBANS (Research Infrastructures Services Reinforcing Air Quality Monitoring Capacities in European Urban & Industrial AreaS; https://riurbans.eu; Oct 2021 – Sep 2025) project 1st Science Meeting will take place in a hybrid format (face-to-face & online) during 19-20 October 2022 (Barcelona, Spain).
The project focus is to demonstrate how service tools from atmospheric research infrastructures can be adapted and enhanced to provide advanced air quality measurements in European cities and industrial, harbour, airport and road traffic hotspots, as well as areas with significant levels of air pollution and associated health effects. The project combines advanced scientific knowledge and innovative technical work to develop pilot service tools that will enhance the capacity of the air quality monitoring networks to provide the necessary observations to evaluate, predict and abate urban air pollution. The project is directly connected with ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure; https://www.actris.eu) and ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System; https://www.icos-cp.eu) in terms of use of service tools, networking supersites and data management. The project focuses on human exposure to outdoor ambient ultrafine particles, atmospheric particulate matter in terms of their sizes and constituents as well as their gaseous precursors.
The scope of the Science Meeting includes the following major topics: () data compilation and analysis of the advanced air quality parameters; () analysis of health outcomes, city mapping, citizen involvement, pollution, hotspots; () first results on emission inventories and modelling; () evaluation/discussion of 5 main Pilots (such as (i)&(ii) – near-real-time PM source apportionment & ultrafine particles, particle size distribution; (iii) mapping, 3D, mobile measurements and citizen science; (iv) health effects of advanced air quality parameters and source contributions; (v) air quality in and from urban hotspots – traffic, airports, industry, harbours); and (*) upscaling actions. Moreover, the involvement of air quality policy stakeholders in interpretations/discussions of the project results as well as pilots and applications of service tools is expected.
The programme of the 1st Science Meeting will include presentations about the RI-URBANS project overall progress report, a series of invited talks on WMO air quality guidelines, new air quality parameters, revision of ambient air quality directives, role in ACTRIS, input of AQUILA (Air Quality Reference Laboratories) network into EU air policy revision, source apportionment of ultrafine particles, health effects of air borne particulates; followed by details status/ progress of the RI-URBANS WorkPackages. The poster session, steering committee meeting and discussions will be also arranged.

Text by: Xavier Querol, Marta Monge (from the Spanish National Research Council) & Tuukka Petaja, Alexander Mahura (from the University of Helsinki).