NICEAIR

By improving the spatial resolution of air quality data and linking pollution exposure to health outcomes in various local projects, the initiative directly supports the topic of ensuring healthy lives. It allows for a more accurate assessment of the effects of air pollution on health in Nice. Therefore, NICE-AIR also contributes to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.”

Air pollution is a major public health concern, particularly in urban environments where the concentration of pollutants can vary significantly over short distances. Traditional methods for monitoring air quality, though effective, offer limited spatial resolution and provide a general picture that can overlook the nuanced variations of urban pollution landscapes. The advent of mobile air quality monitoring carried out by a vehicle equipped with sophisticated air quality sensors, marks a decisive advance in environmental health research. This initiative, conducted under the European EXPANSE project, aims to deploy this innovative technology in the city of Nice (France) to gather detailed data on a range of pollutants, including black carbon, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and ultrafine particles. In 2024-2025, this project will conduct comprehensive measurement campaigns across the Nice metropolitan area to map air pollution with an unprecedented level of detail. By integrating this granular data with ongoing health research projects within the city, the project seeks to elucidate the complex relationship between air pollution exposure and health outcomes. The findings of this research will not only improve our understanding of urban air quality dynamics but also inform public health strategies and policies, by providing the tools needed to create healthier and more sustainable urban environments. It will ultimately contribute to the well-being of the urban population. The future developments of this project are aimed at significantly advancing environmental health research. In addition to mapping air pollution across the urban area of Nice, the aim will be to establish a direct link between high-resolution air pollution data and local cohorts for exposome-based studies. This integration should provide a deeper understanding of how specific pollutants influence health outcomes and make it possible for researchers to dissect the complex interplay between environmental factors and disease at an unprecedented level of detail.

Scientific domain Environmental and Human Health, Health Risks	Key words Exposome Air pollution Health Epidemiology
Total budget €15,000, including €5,000 from Academy 3	Students involved /
Partners TIRO-MATOs – Université Côte d’Azur, CEA ESPACE - Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, AMU, AU AtmoSud – Région Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur International collaborations University of Utrecht - Netherlands EXPANSE project	Project members Sonia Dagnino Sandra Perez Thierry Pourcher Sabine Lindenthal