What is Atmo PACA
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Atmo PACA in brief
Atmo PACA is a non-profit association created in 1982 that manages the air quality survey network in south-eastern France (Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur Region - PACA).
In accordance with the French law on air quality dated December 30th, 1996, the missions to be carried out by Atmo PACA, the organisation responsible for survey air quality in the PACA region, can be summarized in four objectives:
Monitoring
air quality, with measurements and modelling,
Forecasting
air quality and pollution peaks,
Informing
the public authorities and general public (in everyday, during an air pollution
episode),
Understanding
pollution mechanisms by realising studies, and so participating in the establishments
of links between air, health and environment,
Assessing
the impact of emission reduction, contributing to the reflexions on territory
management.
The total budget of Atmo PACA for the year 2007 is 2.3 million of Euros and Atmo PACA employs nineteen persons. Thanks to its network and to a close collaboration with research laboratory, Atmo PACA provides information to the fitting out decision making. We can quote the following impacts that can result from this study of the impact of the road traffic and industrial complex, definition of critical periods, identification and cartography of the sensible areas. Atmo PACA broadcasts every day the air quality indexes of Marseilles, Aix-en-Provence, Nice, Cannes-Grasse-Antibes, Toulon, Avignon, Aubagne and Hyères.
In total, 52 stations equipped with 150 sensors measure the air quality in this area. The automated measures transmitted to a Management Centre (in Marseille) are analysed, broadcast to the general public and can be used to alert the authorities in case of a pollution peak. Atmo PACA participates to studies on the environmental impact of air pollution and provides expertise for designing air pollution abatement policies on the means that could be used to reduce the pollution. The 52 stations measure, every 15 minutes, several pollutants such as particulate matters, NO and NO2, CO, ozone, benzene, toluene, xylenes, SO2, as well as climatic parameters : direction and speed of the wind, temperature, hygrometry.
Because of his strong involvement in ESCOMPTE European campaign (http://medias.obs-mip.fr/escompte/) Atmo PACA now has skills on emissions monitoring over the PACA region. The data sets are managed by a specialist engineer. The inventory consists of an hourly data set, on a 1 km2 base. The reference year is 2004.
An operational regional platform, AIRES MEDITERRANEE (www.aires-mediterranee.org) which links emissions inventory with new generation modular modelling system is setting up. Collaborations have been engaged around advanced meso-scale CTM models: CHIMERE (IPSL), MOCAGE (CNRM). Because the south-east french meteorology system is really complex, meso-scale meteorological models such as MM5, RAMS, MESO-NH could be used over Marseille area.
Other european programs involvements
Atmo PACA was also involved in scientific BOND program and communication APNEE project.
BOND : BiOgenic Aerosols and Air Quality in the Mediterranean area.
The project focuses on two representative Mediterranean regions with important biogenic emissions and sufficient degree of diversity (Marseille, Athens). However, the overall methodology should be applicable to any other European region. Major milestones include:
Establishment
of mechanisms of Secondary Biogenic Organic Aerosol (SOA) formation based on
targeted smog chamber experiments.
Definition
of relevant methodology and development/validation of anthropogenic and biogenic
emissions inventories conforming to model requirements.
Improvement
and validation of a 3-D aerosol/photochemical/radiative modelling tool to assess
the biogenic contribution to aerosols and account for the influence of secondary
organic aerosol in global warming and consequently climate change
Further information : http://milos.ipta.demokritos.gr/bond/
APNEE project (Air Pollution Network for Early warning and on-line information Exchange in Europe)
This program aims at increasing the knowledge of citizens on air quality, at developing exchange of information among European institutions and at providing forecasting tools that will be useful for decision taking. Futher information : http://www.apnee.org/
Today, Atmo PACA leads an operational regional platform for monitoring air quality, providing data emissions and modelling pollutants concentrations.
SIMPYC project (Environmental impacts on ports upon their cities - Valencia, Spain; Livorno, Italy; Toulon, France)
The frontier between port and city has become a focal point for a wide range of tensons of an urban, environmental and social nature.
Cities and their ports need to look for solutions to the problems that arise from the relationship port-city, in order to find sustainable solutions that will contribute to a more harmonious coexistence, in functional and environmental terms, between ports and cities (http://www.simpyc.info/en/).