Conference Agenda

Romania's Bucharest faces air pollution issues. RADO-Bucharest, a three-component ACTRIS national facility, provides the opportunity to assess the levels and properties of contaminants within a region using high-time resolution data. The 10-year analysis of carbonaceous aerosols mass concentration daily variability at site points to biomass burning as a source of increased concentrations during the cold season. Mobile monitoring campaigns were performed during the warm and cold periods to capture air pollution variability in Bucharest. The retrieved air pollution maps show the contribution of diverse areas to air pollution, gradients in particle concentrations between areas, and individual exposure along roads.

African nations have part of the economy informal with street dealers selling goods while being exposed to pollution from vehicles. A survey was conducted to assess their level of awareness and exposure to particulate matter in the city of Thiès, Senegal. A Particle Plus 8301-AQM2 Series measured particles concentrations. More than 40% of participants declared to be often affected by cough, headaches, cold and sore throat. Measured PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations were in the range of 25-75 and, 250-700 µg/m³, respectively. Therefore, it is recommended that measures being taken to inform and help street dealers monitor their health and safety.

In this paper, the use of the model organism D. melanogaster is proposed to study PM-induced adverse effects. Individuals of D. melanogaster were exposed under laboratory conditions to increasing concnetrations of brake dust and in situ in an art ceramic factory at 4 selected sites each representative of a different work process. For both exposures analyses included element bioaccumulation, antioxidant enzymes, NMR metabolomics, and oxidative stress were performed. Results showed metabolic alterations and oxidative stress, varying by exposure. D. melanogaster bioaccumulation correlated with PM₁₀ composition. This highlights D. melanogaster's potential as a PM toxicity assessment tool.

A case study in Mordelles (France) examined the relationship between airborne pesticides and agricultural activities using a monitoring station. Data on pesticides use came from a national sales database, while farming practices were gathered from a local survey and meteorological data from official records. Herbicides, especially prosulfocarb and pendimethalin, showed seasonal peaks, linking application periods to air concentrations. The detection of banned lindane highlights its persistence. Triallate, though not sold or applied locally, was also present, demonstrating pesticide mobility. Additionally, the survey identified 54 unmonitored substances, revealing the need for adaptations in national surveillance lists to better reflect regional practices.