Air quality and health

MEETmeTONIGHT 2025

sara.marchetti1@unimib.it Air quality and health, News and Events , , ,
MEETmeTONIGHT 2025

2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the European Researchers’ Night, the event promoted by the European Union that annually brings science to the general public, involving hundreds of cities across Europe. This year’s edition, scheduled for September 26 and 27, will see the participation of over 460 cities in 25 countries.

For the occasion, MEETmeTonight returns to Milan, two days of activities, meetings, workshops, and shows, open to everyone, hosted this year by the University of Milan, at Via Festa del Perdono 7 – in the heart of the city.

Join us for a face-to-face encounter with research and its protagonists!

Find out more about the planned activities and consult the complete program.

Heart of the program are the 5 European Missions – adaptation to climate change; fight against cancer; protection of oceans, seas, lakes and rivers; climate-neutral and intelligent cities; soil health – expressed in numerous activities involving professors, researchers and young PhDs.

Among the thematic pavilions dedicated to the 5 Horizon Europe Missions, on September 27th there will also be researchers from the POLARIS Research Centre, with a thematic pavilion entitled “Smart Cities and Health: Discover the Air We Breathe“.

The proposed activity aims to explore the topic of air quality from different points of view. The stand includes various instruments for measuring air pollutants, from scientific-level instruments to low-cost instruments, such as ‘smart’ sensors used by the POLARIS Interdepartmental Centre within the Open-Living lab of the MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action project, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, PNRR Mission 4 Component 2 Investment Line 1.5: Creation and strengthening of “innovation ecosystems”, construction of “territorial R&D leaders” (Spoke 1 – Urban Regeneration. City of Tomorrow, WP1).

From smart sensors that measure air quality to optical microscopes for close-up exploration of cells and tissues: an interactive participatory science experience to discover how pollution affects our breathing and daily well-being.

We look forward to seeing you at our pavilion!

RESPIRO

sara.marchetti1@unimib.it Air quality and health, Research Projects , ,
RESPIRO

Real-time Environmental Sensing for Personal Intelligent Risk Optimization – RESPIRO

In a world where the quality of the air we breathe is increasingly at the center of attention, the idea of ​​RESPIRO was born: an innovative, portable, intelligent and economical device, designed to help every citizen to monitor the surrounding environment and make informed decisions in real time.

RESPIRO is more than just a sensor: it is a knowledge and awareness platform that puts the power of science in the hands of every citizen

Born from an idea of ​​the POLARIS Interdepartmental Research Centre of the University of Milan Bicocca, RESPIRO was developed within the MUSA project, by the University of Milan-Bicocca and by ROAD – Rome Advanced District, in collaboration with a specialized company in the sector, XEarPro Srl.

RESPIRO was designed to allow everyone to know in real time the air quality of every place, even inside buildings.

It is a device capable of detecting the presence of air pollutants such as fine and ultrafine particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1), carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) and integrating the data with information on temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure. Being physically compact and wearable, it can check the characteristics of the air in multiple points, attaching to backpacks or jackets. Each number is georeferenced, transmitted to a central server in real time and projected on an LED display, where it provides the user with a detailed and immediate picture of the air quality of the environments in which they live.

The practical innovation of RESPIRO lies in the fact that the device can be used not only by scientists who are experts in air quality, but by anyone who wants to evaluate more conscious choices about their exposure to pollutants. By enabling participatory science approaches, it aims to improve the well-being of all through the active involvement of citizens, students and researchers who move around the neighborhoods. The data collected are integrated into a broader monitoring network, useful both to the scientific community and to the territory.

The final goal is not only to measure pollution, but to understand how urban policies and lifestyles can concretely improve public health. It is therefore an important step forward in the protection of health and urban sustainability, offering citizens an advanced tool for analyzing the surrounding environment.

Already tested in prototype form, the tool will thus allow everyone to have reliable data on risk areas available and identify behaviors for which more incisive interventions are necessary.

As part of a participatory science project, researchers from UNIMIB and ROAD have recently designed and implemented pilot campaigns in which workers and students monitored the air quality of the Bicocca district (Milan) and the Ostiense district (Rome) using the device.

The campaigns involved several phases:

Identification of routes and points of interest in the neighborhood under study
Collecting memberships and engaging the public
Repeated monitoring along the routes identified within the neighborhood
Data Analysis: integration and analysis of collected data

We gave each volunteer a device, assigning a route and time slot in which to perform at least three repetitions of the dynamic monitoring (lasting approximately 1 hour) in the neighborhood of interest. Through guided routes, the volunteers were able to appreciate the spatial and temporal variations of the concentrations of pollutants in the neighborhood, actively contributing to the research.

At the end of the campaign, data analysis allowed us to create maps representing the air quality of the neighborhood under study in different time slots and to appreciate any differences between days or time slots with different concentrations of particulate matter or meteorological situations.

The image below shows an example of the campaign carried out in the Bicocca district with data collected on two days with different weather conditions: sunny vs. rain.

MEETmeTONIGHT 2024

sara.marchetti1@unimib.it Air quality and health, Mobility, News and Events , , , ,
MEETmeTONIGHT 2024

MEETmeTonight, the event dedicated to scientific dissemination during the European Researchers’ Night, returns to Milan. This new edition includes two days of free initiatives open to all ages with stands, talks, workshops and shows.

Heart of the program are the 5 European Missions – adaptation to climate change; fight against cancer; protection of oceans, seas, lakes and rivers; climate-neutral and intelligent cities; soil health – expressed in numerous activities involving professors, researchers and young PhDs.

The event is organized by 5 universities in Milan – University of Milan-Bicocca, University of Milan, Bocconi University, Polytechnic University of Milan and Vita-Salute San Raffaele University – and by formicablu. It is a unique opportunity to get closer to the world of research, science and innovation.

In this context, the POLARIS research centre will be present at the event with a thematic stand at the Science Park in Viale Sarca (near Bicocca Stadium). At the SC06 stand entitled “SMART SENS – test the quality of your environment!” the researchers will show their research activities to the public.

The proposed activity aims to explore the topic of air quality from different points of view. The stand includes various instruments for measuring air pollutants, from scientific-level instruments to low-cost instruments, such as ‘smart’ sensors used by the POLARIS Interdepartmental Centre within the Open-Living lab of the MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action project, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU, PNRR Mission 4 Component 2 Investment Line 1.5: Creation and strengthening of “innovation ecosystems”, construction of “territorial R&D leaders” (Spoke 1 – Urban Regeneration. City of Tomorrow, WP1).

The public will learn how these instruments work and the main environmental monitoring techniques. Additionally, part of the experience also includes an in-depth look at the effects of these pollutants on our respiratory system.

In the afternoon, researchers from the POLARIS Centre will also be involved in the workshop entitled “What do you breathe in your neighborhood? Understanding the urban environment by walking” organized together with researchers from CEMTET (Research Center on Mobility, Tourism and Territory) which will be held in the U7 building (via Padre Gerardo Beccaro 20).

The workshop, aimed at adults and boys and girls aged 14 and up, offers a collective experience of observing the Bicocca district to explore its accessibility and inclusiveness. You can participate in this workshop in two time slots (14:00-16:30, 16:30-19:00). Sign up to attend: registration is required on Eventbrite at the link. There are 15 spots available for each time slot.

The quality of the air we breathe every day is often influenced by our lifestyle choices, which can determine the release of particles and other pollutants into the atmosphere, with a huge impact on our health. 

The activity proposed by the workshop presents an interdisciplinary and interactive approach to explore the topic of air quality from different points of view. The proposal for an itinerant activity aims to collect data on the air quality of the neighborhood, also considering how different sources of pollutants in closed (indoor) and open (outdoor) environments or how mobility choices can affect personal exposure.

Check out the program for more information.

MUSA

sara.marchetti1@unimib.it Air quality and health, Research Projects , , ,
MUSA

Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action

MUSA – Multilayered Urban Sustainability Action is an Innovation Ecosystem funded by the Ministry of University and Research under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The project involves collaboration between the University of Milan-Bicocca, the proposing institution, the Polytechnic University of Milan, Bocconi University, Milan University and numerous public and private partners.

MUSA was established in Milan as a response to the challenges that the metropolitan city faces in the transition to the three domains of sustainability: environmental, economic and social. And with an ambition: to usher in a new model of public/private collaboration that can be replicated nationally and internationally.

MUSA identifies the Lombardy region as an ideal laboratory for testing integrated innovations and planning interdisciplinary responses that act on several city management fronts: the environmental front, in which urban development must respect and strengthen biodiversity and foster optimal solutions for energy and sustainable mobility, the technological front, with the untapped potential of digitalisation and deep tech, and the economic and financial front, in which education and sustainable finance are playing increasingly central roles.

The POLARIS Interdepartmental Research Centre is involved in the Spoke 1 of the project, dedicated to safeguarding and enhancing the potential of the natural environment within the city, from biodiversity to renewable energy sources, from monitoring to involving citizens in sustainable mobility.

Spoke Leader: Massimo Labra

Further information can be found at the link