Air Pollution 2019

27th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution

26–28 June 2019
Aveiro, Portugal

Overview

The 27th International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Air Pollution took place in Aveiro, Portugal. The Conference was organised by the Wessex Institute, UK, represented by Professor Stavros Syngellakis, the University of Aveiro, represented by Professor Carlos Borrego and Professor Myriam Lopes, and the University of the West of England, represented by Professor Jim Longhurst and Dr Jo Barnes.

The conference, which started in Mexico in 1993, is well-established and always attracts a wide international spread of delegates. This important conference brings together contributions from scientists from around the world to present recent work on various aspects of air pollution phenomena. Notable in each of the conferences in this series has been the opportunity to foster scientific exchange between participants. Each meeting has provided a further opportunity for identifying new areas of air pollution science demanding collaborative investigation. Air pollution issues remain one of the most challenging problems facing the international community. The series has demonstrated the wide-spread nature of the air pollution phenomena and has explored in depth their impacts on human health and the environment.

Opening of the Conference

The conference was opened by Professor Syngellakis who welcomed the delegates to the conference, before paying tribute to the founder of the Wessex Institute, the late Prof Carlos A Brebbia.

Professor Syngellakis then mentioned that the main objective of WIT is the dissemination of knowledge, especially among many disciplines and this multidisciplinary approach is the reason for organising this and other conferences on various topics. Another way of achieving this is by the publication of papers in Transactions and Journals, through its publishing arm, WIT Press.

Professor Carlos Borrego of the University of Aveiro also welcomed the delegates and encouraged them to enjoy the atmosphere of the city and the university referring briefly to their history. He went on to explain the structure and organisation of the university itself, praising its support for the conference and the efforts of his research group at the department of Environment and Planning where the conference was held. Finally, Dr Barnes and Professor Longhurst addressed the conference on behalf of their University wishing the delegates a rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Invited Presentations

There were a series of invited lectures on advanced topics of research and applications, as follows:

• “The UK clean air strategy 2019 – is this a new start for the management of air quality? ”, a Keynote address by Professor Jim Longhurst, University of the West of England, UK.
• “Evidence from Clair City: citizen demand for a clean air, low carbon, healthy city”, a Keynote address by Dr Jo Barnes, University of the West of England, UK.
• “Using game technology to engage citizens and understand the public acceptability of air quality interventions in European cities” by Professor Enda Hayes, University of the West of England, UK.
• “Shipping emissions and its impact on air quality on urban coastal areas: present and future scenarios” by Dr Alexandra Monteiro, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Using air quality modelling and emission projections as a support to the 1st air pollution control program under NEC directive targets for 2030” by Dr Joana Ferreira, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Assessing road transportation impacts of connected and automated vehicles for a clean and sustainable mobility” by Dr Margarida Coelho, University of Aveiro, Portugal.
• “Influence of spatial resolution in modelling the dispersion of volcanic ash in Ecuador” by Dr Rene Parra, University San Francisco of Quito, Ecuador.
• “Real time atmospheric monitoring for urban air pollution by using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)” by Professor Qingyue Wang, Saitama University, Japan.
• “The emission of ultrafine particles in the manufacture of fireplace ceramic tiles” by Karel Lach, Czech Institute of Public Health, Czech Republic.
• “Perspectives of stack and environmental monitoring in the surrounding of a waste-to-energy plant” by Dr Elena Rada, Insubria University of Varese, Italy.
• “CO2 measurements for an unconventional management of indoor air quality” by Dr Marco Schiavon, University of Trento, Italy.
• “Radon entry models into buildings vs environmental parameters, building shape and types of foundations”, by Professor Rosaria Ippolito, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Italy.

Conference Sessions

The papers presented during the conference were classified under the following headings:

• Air quality
• Air pollution modelling
• Emissions
• Joint Special session organised by the University of Aveiro, with Urban Transport 2019 entitled “Transport and air quality in Portugal”
• Special session led by Elena Rada, entitled “Strategies for human exposure reduction”
• Special session led by Rosaria Ippolito, entitled “Naturally occurring ionizing pollutants”

There were numerous occasions for holding informal discussions during the coffee breaks and the complimentary lunches provided.

Conference Publication

Papers presented at this conference will appear in Vol. 236 of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment (ISSN 1743-3541). Papers presented at the meeting will be available Open Access in the eLibrary of the Wessex Institute (https://www.witpress.com/elibrary) from where they can be freely downloaded by any interested parties.

A few papers were selected for publication in the International Journal of Environmental Impacts. The Journal provides an international forum to discuss the numerous environmental problems present in modern society and their impacts, taking into account scientific, economic and social issues. One important consideration is the way in which they affect the search for sustainability.

ISAC Dinner

The meeting of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) of the Conference took place over dinner at a local restaurant named “O legado da Ria”, which specialises in traditional fish dishes typical of the region and is situated close to the fish market in Aveiro. The meeting was held after the meal which was found greatly enjoyable by all participants. At the meeting, members of the committee were encouraged to make suggestions for bringing the conference topics list up to date and also advise WIT on the evolution of the conference.

Conference Dinner

The Conference dinner took place at Salpoente, a speciality fine dining restaurant in the canal area of Aveiro. The building used to be used by the local salt pan industry. One of the highlights of the evening was the short ride there on the canal, on narrow boats known as Moliceiro, which were originally used to transport sea grass vegetation taken from the canal to fertilize the nearby arable lands. Nowadays these vessels exist only as beautifully decorated pleasure craft for tourists to enjoy the canals, and this is one of the reasons that Aveiro is referred to as the Venice of Portugal.

Delegates enjoyed the ambience of the ancient building, starting with sparkling local wine, followed by a five course meal. First was seafood soup with parsley and coriander (sopa de peixe, pevide e coentros), Folhado de Alheira (a kind of sausage roll with a delicious meat filling), followed by bacalhau on chick pea mash with green vegetables, then veal with potatoes vegetables and beans. For dessert we enjoyed a pannacotta with poached fruit then coffee to end. All the courses were accompanied by local wines and the atmosphere of the whole evening was particularly appreciated by the participants.

Closing of the Conference

In their closing remarks, Professors Longhurst and Borrego as well as Dr Barnes praised the quality of presentations and the organisation of the conference. The meeting was closed by Professor Syngellakis who thanked the delegates for attending and hoped that they would consider attending the next conference in the series which is due to be reconvened in 2020 in Seville, Spain.

Related Conferences

Sustainable City 2019, 1 - 3 October 2019

Energy Production and Management 2019, 2 - 4 December 2019

Eco-Architecture 2020, 5 - 7 May 2020

Sustainable Development and Planning 2020, 6 - 8 May 2020

Air Pollution 2020, 8 – 10 June 2020

Environmental Impact 2020, 10 – 12 June 2020