BrainMap

Bogdan Abaza

- UNIVERSITATEA NAȚIONALĂ DE ȘTIINȚĂ ȘI TEHNOLOGIE POLITEHNICA BUCUREȘTI

Other affiliations

Associate Professor - SCOALA NATIONALA DE STUDII POLITICE SI ADMINISTRATIVE (Romania)

Researcher | Teaching staff | Scientific reviewer

Expertise & keywords

Future – Proof Your Career – Career Guidance for a Modern Labour Market Call name:
2019-1-IE01-KA202-051543 2019 - 2022

Role in this project: Partner team leader

Coordinating institution: BALLYMUN JOB CENTRE

Project partners: BALLYMUN JOB CENTRE (); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI ()

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI ()

Project website: http://futurecareer.eu/

Abstract:

Towards a better protection of children against air pollution threats in the urban areas of Romania Call name: EEA Research Programme under EEA Financial Mechanism 2009-2014
EEA-JRP-RO-NO-2013-1-0096 2013 -

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA "VALAHIA" TARGOVISTE

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA "VALAHIA" TARGOVISTE (RO); Stiftelsen Norsk Institutt for Luftforskning (Norwegian Institute for Air Research) (NO); UNIVERSITATEA PETROL GAZE PLOIESTI (RO); UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA POLITEHNICA DIN BUCURESTI (RO)

Project website:

Abstract:

“ROKIDAIR: Towards a better protection of children against air pollution threats in the urban areas of Romania” aims to improve urban air quality monitoring and forecasting activities, focusing on the critical areas’ (CAs) spatial delimitation based on the receptors’ vulnerability, and their detailed characterization in terms of PM2.5 effects on children’s health, in two towns of Romania, namely Targoviste and Ploiesti. These urban agglomerations will serve as pilot areas in order to develop and deploy a monitoring network system and adjacent information structure that will provide synthesized data concerning PM2.5 levels obtained from simplified, but reliable monitoring micro-stations and artificial intelligence (AI) forecasting algorithms developed within the project.

The ROKIDAIR project’s timeline is designed in the following four phases: 1) Preliminary studies of pollutant loads in the studied areas, ranking of critical areas and system’s prototyping and design; 2) Development of the monitoring infrastructure including micro-station’s sensors/hardware, the management system of the database, and the tools for geospatial analysis, pollutants’ correlation and forecasting; 3) Testing and validation of the PM2.5 monitoring system including adjacent data communication and processing infrastructure; and 4) Promoting the ROKIDAIR system to be used by relevant stakeholders. All these phases will be carried out through six interdependent Work Packages (WPs).

A database with existent data for the envisaged urban areas will be primarily developed. Based on the database (e.g., pollutant emissions, number of children with respiratory illnesses, meteorological database, etc.) and scenarios modelling, critical areas will be delimited. In these CAs, monitoring campaigns will be performed using a standardized and calibrated portable system to determine PM2.5 levels.

The research regarding the determination of differences in the health effects of Particulate Matters (PM) with various chemical compositions needs to be addressed. The sampled discs, collected during the measurements, will be analysed using laboratory methods to detect the quantity of heavy metals, Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other compounds.

CAs will be prioritized in order to facilitate the determination of the most relevant monitoring points. In each town, three monitoring points will be selected for each CA in order to deploy three monitoring micro-stations and one station will be located indoor at a selected area (e.g., maternity, kindergarten, school, etc.). In this way, the correlation of outdoor-indoor PM2.5 levels will provide comprehensive insights regarding the children’s exposure.

The monitoring network prototype will have eight stations in total (four for each town). These micro-stations will be gradually moved to other CAs to perform new measurements and after testing, calibration and referencing, to provide reliable information concerning PM2.5 levels and their impact on children’s health.

Collected time series will be pre-processed and adapted to feed the forecasting tool based on Artificial Intelligent (AI) algorithms. All data will be presented on a dedicated geo-portal adapted to be used by smartphones and other portable equipment. The main stream of information will be transmitted as much directly as possible towards the affected persons. The expert advises and recommendations will be transmitted via e-mails and SMS to the registered users providing support for children’s health management under impacts of air quality stressors and pressures. Early warnings will be developed in co-operation with paediatric specialists, which will synthesize the most relevant information concerning the protection of children’s health against air pollution threats. The early warning data packages will also be redirected to the authorities (e.g., EPA - Environmental Protection Agencies and DPH - Public Health Protection Directions) for informational purposes.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects