In 2021, the European Commission adopted the EU Action Plan “Towards a Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil” - a key deliverable of the European Green Deal. As the maritime sector accounts for 14 % of the EU’s CO2 emissions from transport, regulations like the FuelEU Maritime Initiative (adopted in 2022) have been created to ...
Formaldehyde, also known as methanal, is a colourless, volatile organic compound released from burning wood, tobacco smoke and from paints, varnishes, adhesive, and waxes. Low levels of formaldehyde in the air are considered harmless, but levels can build up to ten times higher indoors compared to the outside. As citizens in de...
The first “quantum revolution” (Quantum 1.0) came about in the 20th century, when an understanding of fundamental particles led to the development of lasers, semiconductors and atomic clocks. We’re now in the second quantum revolution (Quantum 2.0), where physicists and engineers are controlling individual photons and sub-atomi...
The European Union aims to become fully climate-neutral by 2050. Key to this ambition will be phasing out internal combustion engines in both light and heavy-duty vehicles. Electric vehicles based on hydrogen fuel cells are viable alternatives and it has been estimated by the European Commission that these cells could represent...
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) gas is a harmful pollutant mainly produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. It can react with water in the atmosphere to form nitric acid (HNO3), producing acid rain, harmful to vulnerable ecosystems. In humans, it can impair lung function and exacerbate respiratory conditions and is a precursor of grou...
According to EEA estimates, 239,000 deaths in the EU in 2022 were attributable to fine particulate matter pollution (PM2.5) at concentrations above the World Health Organisation’s recommendation of 5 μg/m3. To mitigate the effects of air pollution on humans and the environment, regulatory bodies impose strict legal limits on ai...
