The issue of air quality is, at present, a major concern for many European countries including Portugal. The reduction of air pollution requires the definition of emission reduction strategies and, therefore, the characterisation of emission sources and analysis of their contribution to the observed pollution levels are essential. Both, primary pollutants directly emitted by sources and secondary pollutants formed in the atmosphere (such as Ozone and secondary aerosols) are relevant due to their negative effect on human health and ecosystems. However, the analysis of secondary pollutants requires the application of advanced methodologies and tools, such as chemical transport models, to describe their formation, transport and removing processes. Together with anthropogenic sources, biogenic emissions play an important and sometimes determinant role in the secondary pollutants formation. Future studies to improve our knowledge on emissions invoke the integration of various approaches. The recent important developments in satellite measurements of the composition of the lower atmosphere open the challenging perspective to use such measurements as independent information on sources and sinks of the atmospheric pollutants. The main objectives of EMOSAT project are:

  (i) development of an emissions model able to incorporate near-real time satellite data with high spatial and temporal resolution to improve the characterisation of precursors of ozone and aerosols;

  (ii) quantification of the individual contribution of different emission sources (biogenic and anthropogenic) to air pollution levels in Portugal and provide information for the policy applications concerning the definition of emission reduction strategies;
 
  (iii) development of new approaches and techniques to integrate satellite observations into air pollution analysis to obtain reliable information on air quality and emission sources.

This project will help to enhance the state of knowledge on emission sources and provide new tools and methodologies for the integration of satellite data in studies of air pollution.

CESAM members on this project

Ana Isabel Miranda
Researcher

Fellowship

Carlos Borrego
Researcher

Carlos Silveira
Fellowship

Joana Ferreira
Researcher

Joana Valente
Researcher