MED-PARTICLES
Particles size and composition in Mediterranean countries: geographical variability and short-term health effects
Categories: Ambient air | Concluded | Europeans | Anthropogenic impacts | Montelibretti
Keywords: Ambient air | impacts | Environmental pollution | air quality
Funding: LIFE Program
Period: September 2011 - August 2013
Total project budget: ---
Total budget CNR IIA: ---

Abstract of the project

Knowledge of the effects of air pollution on human health has grown in recent decades as a result of the enormous scientific effort to design and conduct large epidemiological studies. At present, most scientists agree that airborne particles with a diameter of less than 10 micrometers (μm) have the most significant short-term effects on human health, with fine particulate matter (PM) being the fraction responsible for the most serious effects.

The coarser fraction (PM2,5-10) has a predominantly natural origin, while the finer fraction (PM2,5) is produced by combustion (vehicles, industry and power plants) and is mainly responsible for the increase in mortality due to to breathing and heart disease. Epidemiological data are more scarce for the European Mediterranean countries.

The MED-PARTICLES project produced protocols, reports and a database describing the daily concentrations of particulate matter (PM) of different sizes and sources for 14 European cities and different areas of the Mediterranean, along with internal and international variations. This has led to the adoption of standardized procedures that allow cities to pool their findings.

A statistical data analysis protocol was developed to examine the effects of air pollutants on short-term mortality and morbidity in multiple cities, which gained power from the pooling of city-specific findings and increased representativeness on a wider geographical area. By providing extensive data on pollutants and meteorological parameters, together with tools to address air pollutant problems, the project produced new evidence on the short-term health effects of fine and coarse particulate matter and Saharan dust and forest fires incidents, mortality and on hospital admissions in the 14 cities of the Mediterranean.
The MED-PARTICLES project aimed to improve the understanding of particulate air pollution characteristics for 14 cities in the Mediterranean area (three cities in Spain, one in France, eight in Italy, two in Greece), as well as the relationship between these characteristics air pollution and public health. In particular, the project sought to assess geographic differences in particle size and composition in different areas of Mediterranean countries, the frequency of Saharan dust and forest fire days, and the short-term effects of fine and coarse particulate matter on daily mortality and the emergency. hospitalizations for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Furthermore, the project aimed to educate young scientists in epidemiological and statistical analyzes.
Local Health Authority Rome E - Department of Epidemiology - Coordinator
National Research Council - Atmospheric Pollution - partner
Piedmont Environmental Protection Agency (ARPA) - partner
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - partner
Fundació Center de Research en Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) - partner
Regional Agency for Prevention and the Environment of Emilia Romagna - partner