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Air quality measurements are currently being carried out in six municipalities in the South Moravian Region and in two districts of Brno. During the heating season we measure dust particles in order to investigate pollutants that come from local household heating. This currently represents one of the main air problems in the Czech Republic. The most problematic are old solid fuel boilers in which people burn what they shouldn't.
The project is unique by providing detailed information on air quality trends in areas of small settlements with local heating plants. In this project, new systems for sensory measurement of suspended particulate matter are combined with chemical analysis of collected samples to determine concentrations of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This analysis is carried out in the accredited RECETOX laboratories of Masaryk University. The measurement phase is followed by an anonymous household questionnaire surveys, which focus on the type and characteristics of housing, heating method and household behaviour with regard to the impact on air quality. The aim is to obtain information on residents' awareness of the relationship between air quality and health risks and their preferences for reducing them. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews will also be conducted with the representatives of the citizens of the municipality in order to gain a deeper understanding of the findings.
"We will assess the applicability of sensor technologies, the level and distribution of pollution within the municipalities, and the potential assessment of health impacts. At the same time, we will find out from the locals how they perceive the health and environmental risks and whether they are willing to change their heating methods," said Ondřej Mikeš from the RECETOX centre. It is also a form of spreading awareness among the inhabitants of the municipalities.
The research runs from September 2023 to April 2024, with a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews in January and February 2024. "We believe that the results will contribute to improving the environment and health of the population in the Czech Republic and we thank all the participants for their cooperation and willingness," added project leader Pavel Čupr.
For more information about the project, visit its webpage.
About the AIRSENS project.
Project PI
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Ondřej Mikeš works at the RECETOX center as an environmental epidemiologist in the Human Exposure and Risk Assessment group, focusing on external exposures in epidemiological research. In the interview, he explains what air pollution research in Brno entails, how researchers communicate measurement results to politicians and the public, and why scientists are now trying to create a digital model of the entire city.
At the end of last year, the RECETOX center successfully completed a project funded by the Czech Science Foundation (GAČR) titled “Alternative Approaches in the Assessment of Male Reproductive Toxicity of Chemical Mixtures Without Animal Testing.” The project focused on potentially hazardous chemicals and their mixtures that can affect reproduction or reproductive health in men.