Air quality and Climate

Pollutants are released into the atmosphere during the combustion of fossil fuels. These can harm public health (e.g. nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, ozone and particulate matter), have an impact on nature and agriculture (e.g. nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide), or contribute to climate change (e.g. greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, but also particulate matter).  

Within the theme of Air Pollution and Climate, we wish to develop knowledge and help address policy issues relating to the following areas:  

• The interaction between air quality and climate change
• The role of particulate matter in air quality and climate change
• Emissions and spread of greenhouse gases
• The environmental effects of “clean” means of transport
• The development of an indicator for particulate matter that is relevant for the impact on health and climate
• Emissions from the combustion and gasification of biomass  

We achieve this by:  

• Developing and marketing easy-to-use and affordable instruments for measuring trace gases, particulate matter and soot particles
• Participation in programmes of the Dutch Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment (VROM)
• Precision measurements of trace gases and particulate matter on the Cabauw tower
• Determining the accuracy of emission figures within Europe via the reverse application of transport models on measurement results
• Mapping emissions by diffuse sources such as shipping, road traffic, farming, livestock industry and dump sites