Exp. Field Campaigns

The mobile Health-Environment unit of BRFAA (Figure 3) has participated in various experimental field campaigns aimed at measuring the optical properties of the suspended particles that is, basic parameters of air pollution.

Figure 3. The mobile Health-Environment unit of CEEH of BRFAA with modern laser radar technology and air pollution measurement instruments in collaboration with the Mariolopoulos-Kanaginis Foundation for the Environmental Sciences, the Navarino Environmental Observatory (N.E.O.) and the N.T.U.A.

The main experimental field campaigns in Greece, during the period 2012-2018, were the following:

a. Participation in the international CHARMEX experiment (2012)
The international CHARMEX experiment aimed at studying the transport mechanisms of particulate pollution in the wider Mediterranean area. In the context of the CHARMEX experiment, the mobile Health-Environment unit of BRFAA moved to the Navarino Environmental Observatory (June 2012) where it measured the transported (incoming) particulate pollution from the Sahara Desert and Central Europe towards Western Greece, in parallel with all the stations of the European lidar station network (EARLINET).

b. Participation in the international AQUA-AGRO experiment (2012)
The international AQUA-AGRO experiment aimed at studying the change of the optical properties of aerosols on the Athens-Evia-Bucharest axis. In the context of the AQUA-AGRO experiment, the mobile Health-Environment unit of BRFAA moved to Oxylithos, Evia (Central Aegean) in September 2012, where it measured the transported (incoming) particulate pollution from the Sahara Desert, Western Turkey and Russia, before it entered the Athens Basin. The results of the international AQUA-AGRO experiment were published in the Final Report of the GSRT 11 Greek-Romania Cooperation project (ROM 36_5_ΕΤ30) (2014) and in the scientific publication (Papayannis et al., 2014).

c. Participation in the international HYGRA_CD experiment (2014)
The international HygrA-CD experiment which was conducted in the context of the ITARS project (www.itars.net) aimed at studying the role of aerosols in cloud creation over the Athens Basin. In the context of the HygrA-CD experiment, the mobile Health-Environment unit of BRFAA moved to NCSR-DEMOCRITOS in May-June 2014, where it measured the produced particulate pollution in the Athens Basin, as well as the transported (incoming) particulate pollution from the Sahara Desert, Western Turkey and Russia, as it was entering the Athens Basin. A typical example of measurement of the suspended particle backscatter factor is presented in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Spatial-temporal change of the vertical distribution of the backscatter coefficient of suspended particles in the context of the experimental HYGRA_CD campaign (2014).

The results of the international ΗygrA-CD experiment were published by Papayannis et al. (2017).

d. Participation in the event for the 180 years of the NTUA, “The NTUA opens the gates of its laboratories to the public” (2017)
The mobile lidar station actively participated in the event for the 180 years since the foundation of the NTUA, entitled “The NTUA opens the gates of its laboratories to the public”, on October 20-21, 2017 (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Participation of ΑΙAS mobile lidar station in the “180 years of NTUA” Event.

In the period 2019-2021, the mobile Health-Environment unit of BRFAA participated in three experimental campaigns in the context of the PANACEA research program. The aim of the PANACEA research project is to study the air pollution in various Greek urban areas with intense phenomena of air pollution. These studies correspond to the time period of restrictive measures due to COVID-19.

e. Participation in the PANACEA experiment (July 2019) – Volos, Prefecture of Magnesia
A typical example of the backscatter coefficient of suspended particles is presented in Figure 6.

Figure 6. Measurements of the vertical distribution of the spatial-temporal change of the lidar signal (532 nm) (left) and of the backscatter coefficient (right) of suspended particles in Volos, Magnesia (28.07.2019) (Mylonaki et al., 2021).

f. Participation in the PANACEA experiment (January-February 2020) – Ioannina (period of COVID-19)
In the winter of 2020, the mobile lidar station participated in the recording of aerosols in the Ioannina Basin with the aim of studying and measuring the optical properties of the suspended particles and their impact on the inhabitants’ health in Ioannina. A typical example of measurement of the backscatter coefficient of suspended particles is presented in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Measurements of the vertical distribution of the spatial-temporal change of the lidar signal (532 nm) (left) and of the backscatter coefficient (right) of suspended particles in Ioannina (26.01.2020).

g. Participation in the PANACEA experiment (October-November 2021) – Mount Helmos – Prefecture of Achaia
The international experimental campaign which took place in the context of the PANACEA project on Mount Helmos aimed to study the role of aerosols in cloud formation on Mount Helmos (see Figure 8).

Figure 8. Measurements of the vertical distribution of the spatial-temporal change of the lidar signal (532 nm) of suspended particles on Mount Helmos (01.10.2021).