Citizen Science Festival 2020: Green Zones was there!
Research and sustainable development were the focus of this year's Citizen Science Festival 2020 at the Kulturbrauerei in Berlin. Various international and national citizen research projects were presented, among others on the topics of air quality, light pollution and plastic avoidance.
Especially when it comes to questions and solutions regarding urban air quality, we at Green-Zones® are very interested in making our contribution and deepening our knowledge. Therefore we did not miss the chance to participate in the Citizen Science Festival this year.
On the premises of the Kulturbrauerei we took part in a live measurement of fine dust. During this measurement, the particulate matter enters a chamber which is filled with a medium (alcohol or water). In a second chamber the particles enclosed by liquid are condensed in the so-called cold chamber. Then the measurement can take place.
Here we measured on the site itself (6,000 particles / cm³), in the rooms (7,000 particles / cm³), on a side road (12,000 particles / cm³) and on a main road (40,000 particles / cm³) with the mobile sensor.
The measurements on the main road were particularly intense, with the one-time highest value even reaching 80,000 particles / cm³ when vehicles drove directly past. Even though the fine dust quickly evaporated again afterwards, the amount we inevitably inhale along a road is enormous.
Due to the massive effects of air pollution and noise pollution (over 4 million deaths per year), we have decided to create a separate section called Environment & Health, where we explain and inform in detail about emissions, diseases and what we can do about them.
After the fine dust measurement we learned how to build a stationary sensor by ourselves.
Those who want to can try it out at home and provide important data for the project. In any case, we are enthusiastic and will be happy to participate again next year!