Ioannina Campaign

CAO’s Dr. Maximilien Desservettaz is joining the National observatory of Athens (GR) to study air pollution in one of the European most polluted cities: Ioannina.

The city, located in the crest of mountain, by a lake, experiences cold and stable weather through winter – which leads to a persistent temperature inversion. This leads to anthropogenic pollution being trapped and accumulated near the ground, for extended amount of time.

With no access to the natural gas national network, Ioannina inhabitants rely on wood and fuel burning, dirtier fuels, to keep warm through winter.

CAO is contributed its newly acquired PTR-ToF-MS to study the vast amount of trace organic compounds, some of which toxics, being accumulated and breathed by the local inhabitants.