Conducted by an international scientific team coordinated by the Institute of Environmental Geosciences (IGE) and supported by INERIS as a member of the Central Laboratory for Air Quality Monitoring (LCSQA), this study establishes, in particular, that this oxidative stress can be up to three times higher in urban areas with heavy road traffic than in rural areas. The scientific data produced provides a useful basis for guiding the definition of future European air quality standards and public health policies in this area.
For France, this study drew in particular on previous work by the National Observatory for the Chemical Composition and Sources of Fine Particles in Urban Areas (CARA programme), which is part of the national air quality monitoring system coordinated by INERIS as a member of the Central Laboratory for Air Quality Monitoring (LCSQA). Set up in 2008, this observatory responds to the need for understanding and information on the nature and origin of fine particles. It is based on close collaboration between the LCSQA and approved air quality monitoring associations, which are responsible in particular for collecting filters from various stations in the national system. These filters are then stored in the filter library managed by INERIS, where storage conditions guarantee the integrity of the samples until they are analysed.
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