There has been growing interest in independent air monitoring in Ukrainian industrial towns due to the lack of publicly available data on air pollution. More and more activists, environmental organizations and residents of industrial cities want to learn what they breathe, so they buy measuring instruments or produce their own with which they connect to alternative platforms. Arnika decided to meet the demand for information on independent monitoring and between May 29 and June 3, 2019, it organized a lecture tour of Czech experts from the Atmospheric Aerosol Research Group around Ukraine. The aim of the visit of the Czech scientists was to present the specific experience of the Czech Republic in the field of air pollution research.
Jan Hovorka and Jan Bendl from the Faculty of Science, Charles University and Petr Mares from the company SCIENCE IN gave presentations at seminars in Kiev, Kryvyi Rih and Zaporizhia. Round tables were held in Kyiv (3.6.2019) and Kryvyi Rih (30.6.2019), to which local officials, politicians and active citizens’ initiatives were invited. The Czech delegation also met with students and teachers of the Department of Information Technology of the National Technical University in Zaporizhia.
Jan Hovorka, Head of the Laboratory for Air Quality Research at the Institute of Environmental Studies at the Faculty of Science, Charles University, specializes in the determination of sources of atmospheric pollution and the physical and chemical characteristics of atmospheric aerosols. In his lectures he analysed the disadvantages of standard air pollution monitoring methods and the advantages of alternative approaches, and also introduced advanced methods of pollution source identification. Jan Bendl, who focuses mainly on mobile and stationary air quality measurement in towns and cities, spoke about the impact of pollution on human health and introduced specific cases of alternative measurements from his research, e.g. on tourist circuits in the centre of Prague, or flight measurements using remote-controlair balloons. Petr Mareš, who is the creative director of the Czech company SCIENCE IN, deals with interactive, artistic and otherwise inspiring presentations of various scientific topics. He spoke about how to communicate the complex issue of air pollution in an interesting way, and presented successful lobbying strategies for clean air. The lecture tour took place with the support of the Czech Centre in Kyiv.
The Atmospheric Aerosol Research Group aims to gain a better understanding of the distribution of aerosol particles in the atmospheric boundary layer and of the properties, sources and health impacts of aerosol particles in the atmosphere. It seeks to improve the situation in polluted localities and to provide information to the public, state and local authorities, including education and popularization.
PHOTOS: Air quality and why we should care about it: lecture tour of Czech scientists in Ukraine >>> Gallery here.
Presentation of scientists:
Jan Hovorka – Head of the Laboratory for Air Quality Research, Institute of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University: Air Quality – Why should we care about it?
Jan Bendl – Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University: i) Alternative Air Quality Measurement Methods, ii) Health Effects of Atmospheric Aerosols
Petr Mares – SCIENCE IN: Air Pollution. How, Why, What to Tell?
