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Aerosol-Cloud Interactions: Overcoming a Barrier to Projecting Near-Term Climate Evolution and Risk
Aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI) are a major source of uncertainty in climate science, critically affecting our ability to project near-term climate evolution and assess societal risks. These interactions influence effective radiative forcing, cloud dynamics, and precipitation patterns, yet remain insufficiently constrained due to limitations in observations, modeling, and process understanding. This uncertainty hampers robust policy advice across multiple domains—from estimating remaining carbon budgets and climate sensitivity, to anticipating regional extreme events and evaluating climate interventions such as solar radiation modification. In many cases, the influence of ACI is either underappreciated or excluded from decision-making frameworks due to its complexity and lack of quantification. This perspective outlines a path forward to overcome these barriers by leveraging emerging opportunities in satellite remote sensing, ground-based and airborne observations, high-resolution climate modeling, and machine learning. We identify key areas where rapid progress is feasible, including improved retrievals of cloud microphysical properties, better representation of natural aerosols in a warming world, and enhanced integration of observational and modeling communities. Even as anthropogenic aerosol and its impacts on clouds is reducing owing to emissions controls, addressing ACI uncertainties remains essential for refining climate projections, supporting effective mitigation and adaptation strategies, and delivering actionable science to policymakers in a rapidly changing climate system.
2026
Indoor environments have shown to be a major source of human exposure of polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs), yet information on their distribution across indoor matrices and associated exposure pathways remains limited. PCAs, the main components in chlorinated paraffin mixtures, are widely used as flame retardants and plastic additives in numerous indoor consumer products and materials. This study quantified PCAs in paired indoor dust and indoor organic films (IOFs) from homes, offices, schools and gym sports halls (n = 41) in Sweden and assess their contribution to human exposure. Mean PCA concentrations in indoor dust were 7.3, 43.2, and 14.6 μg g−1 for ∑PCAs-C10–13, ∑PCAs-C14–17, and ∑PCAs-C18–30, respectively, while corresponding concentrations in IOFs were 38.2, 312, and 123 ng m−2. PCAs-C14–17 dominated both matrices, but IOFs showed an enrichment tendency towards longer-chain, higher-KOA PCAs, reflecting the less frequent cleaning and longer-term PCA accumulation in IOFs. IOF concentrations were particularly elevated in schools, and PCA variation across sites was influenced by differences in ventilation practices and building age. Dermal uptake was the dominant exposure pathway for children, with substantially estimated doses from IOFs, while adults show comparable dust dermal and dust ingestion exposures. PCA transformation products formed through hydroxylation, hydrolysis, and sulfation were also tentatively detected in both matrices. These findings highlight the importance of jointly assessing dust and IOFs to better characterize multipathway exposure to the diverse PCA mixture in indoor environments.
2026
Tracking the Path to Cleaner Cities using Global Urban NO₂ Monitoring from Space
Tracking air pollution is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of urban air-quality and emission-control policies and their impact on public health. Unlike previous satellite-based urban NO₂ studies that typically rely on linear trends, aggregated data, and limited meteorological correction, we use high-resolution TROPOMI observations with an AirGAM framework to estimate meteorology-adjusted, non-linear NO₂ TVCD trends across 5,435 cities worldwide (2019–2024). Daily satellite observations, together with ERA5 meteorology, are used to remove weather and seasonal effects so that trends primarily reflect changes in emissions. 1,400 cities had significant trends, with 79% showing declines, indicating an overall global drop in urban NO₂ TVCD. East Asia, particularly China (99% of cities with significant trend), and Europe (95%) led the global reductions. Cities in the USA with significant trends (n = 14) also experienced a decline. NO₂ TVCD levels increased most sharply in the cities of the Middle East, Central, and South Asia. The most populated examples are Tehran (3.1% yr-1 [95% CI: 0.7–5.5]) and Cairo (1.4% yr-1 [0.1–2.6]).
2026
A pan-European spatial inventory of agricultural land degradation
Agricultural land degradation is a contemporary reality that increasingly threatens food security and socio-economic stability in Europe and worldwide. Monitoring and controlling this environmental problem are complicated missions, considering that land degradation generally occurs as multiple processes in agricultural environments, which have not yet been thoroughly investigated as an integrated multi-process and multi-scale inventory in Europe. Here we developed a detailed multi-scale (continental to sub-regional) inventory of 12 key agricultural land degradation pathways in Europe, including water erosion, wind erosion, soil organic carbon loss, soil salinization, soil acidification, soil compaction, soil nutrient imbalances, soil pollution via pesticides, soil pollution via heavy metals, vegetation degradation, groundwater decline, and aridity. Using various and (generally) high-resolution geospatial datasets of land degradative pathways, which were mapped at critical levels and statistically explored as a spatial footprint at various territorial levels, we highlighted a complex geographical pattern of agricultural degradation across Europe. Our findings revealed that continental agricultural environments are between 1 and 52 % affected by critical levels of individual degradative processes. Essentially, our results highlighted that soil pollution via pesticides (which impacts 52 % of Europe's evaluated agricultural area), soil nutrient imbalances (39 %), soil pollution via heavy metals (31 %), aridity (25 %), water erosion (15 %), and soil compaction (15 %) are the largest threats to European agriculture. Furthermore, using a Land Multi-degradation Index that integrates the critical conditions of all degradative processes, we emphasized that 31 % of pan-European agricultural landscapes are impacted by significant multi-degradation (lands simultaneously affected by at least three co-occurring processes). This general picture of agricultural degradation becomes however increasingly heterogeneous towards the more detailed (national to sub-regional) territorial levels, according to the multiple maps (52) and statistics provided in this unprecedented integrated inventory, which has the potential to support various land degradation-related policies in Europe.
2026
Safeguarding drinking water in north-western europe by modelling the fate of amines from CO2capture
The European Union (EU) net-zero emission target for 2050 requires large-scale deployment of carbon capture and storage (CCS). Amine-based CO2 capture (CC) is the most mature CC technology but may lead to the spread of nitrosamines (NSAs) and nitramines (NAs) in the nearby surroundings. These are carcinogenic compounds that can persist in water resources. Hence, EU's ambition towards carbon neutrality might pose risk of drinking water contamination as well as ecosystem and agricultural crops pollution. We compiled a dataset of planned CCS projects in the Franco-Danish corridor, Europe's future CCS hub, where most capacity will be located by 2030, with at least 40% based on amine technology. Spatial analysis indicates that up to 10.2 million inhabitants, large Natura 2000 reserves, and extensive crop areas may be impacted by NA and NSA deposition, often in regions already under severe water stress. Biogeochemical modelling shows that surface waters with short residence times are highly sensitive to deposition rates, whereas groundwater concentrations depend strongly on the interplay between NA and NSA half-lives and travel times, creating greater uncertainty in aquifers, especially small systems with limited dilution. In both cases, MEA is the most environmentally friendly when emission abatement measures are limited to water wash, compared to piperazine and other emerging solvents. Main findings highlight the need for regional-scale modelling and harmonized regulation to safeguard drinking water, ecosystems, and food security as CCS deployment expands.
2026
Fluoropolymers are widely used across sectors, but their production is associated with emissions of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), which are mobile, persistent, and toxic. In this work, we compiled a global inventory of fluoropolymer production plants (FPPs) and assembled PFAS concentration measurements for various media in their vicinity. We identified 52 currently operating FPPs across 11 countries and 41 cities. For 12 FPPs, in 12 different cities, there are peer-reviewed site-specific PFAS measurements specifically attributed to the FPP. At these 12 sites, at least 236 individual PFASs have been detected across multiple environmental media, including surface water, groundwater, air, dust, soils, sediments, plants, animals, and humans, with reported detections at distances of up to approximately 150 km from FPPs. Perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) and perfluoroalkyl ether carboxylic acids (PFECAs) were most frequently measured, often at concentrations two to three orders of magnitude higher than those measured in regions without nearby FPPs. Using high-resolution population data, we estimate that approximately 14 ± 2 million people (uncertainty reflecting ± 10 km uncertainty in facility locations) live within 10 km of an FPP. These people are potentially affected by FPP-associated contamination, with the largest population shares in China (≈52%), Japan (≈24%), Europe (≈13%), and the United States (≈9%). These regional proportions largely mirror differences in population density and the number of identified production facilities. This inventory reveals the large and complex global scale of PFAS contamination from fluoropolymer production, underscoring the need for expanded systematic monitoring and risk management efforts, including regulation.
2026
Tracing the air–sea exchange of microplastics over the Caspian Sea
The global proliferation of microplastics (MPs) is increasingly recognized as a transboundary environmental issue. At the air–ocean interface, MPs can be emitted via sea spray and transported back to land, while terrestrial MPs can likewise be advected and deposited over the oceans. However, the long-term net exchange of MPs between land and ocean via the atmosphere remains poorly constrained. Here, we investigate coastal atmospheric MPs and their near-surface landward and seaward transport over the southern Caspian Sea. Using a combination of passive air sampling (at seven heights with MWAC collectors) and active sampling (vacuum pump) over periods of 3 days and 2 months, respectively, together with coastal surface sediment samples, we quantified MP concentrations and assessed the influence of meteorological and environmental factors on their distribution. Fibrous MPs dominated all compartments, with airborne concentrations averaging 3.85 MP m−3 and sediment concentrations ranging from 507 to 1476 MP kg−1 (dry weight). Estimated near-surface horizontal fluxes were comparable in magnitude, with a landward influx of ~6566 MP m−2 h−1 and a seaward outflux of ~8039 MP m−2 h−1, indicating broadly balanced coastal transport during the 72 h campaign. To support source attribution, we evaluated co-trapped particulate proxies (sea salt and ash) and combined them with FLEXPART modelling. Trajectory modelling and proxy evidence indicate that most airborne MPs originated from inland sources (e.g., road dust and textile-related fibres), while marine sea-spray contributions were minor during the sampling period. These findings highlight the importance of long-range atmospheric transport in coastal MP pollution and demonstrate how integrating proxy observations with dispersion modelling can help constrain likely source regimes.
2026
Precise estimation of atmospheric pollutant releases is crucial for assessing the impact of environmental accidents. Atmospheric inversion typically relies on a linear model with a source–receptor sensitivity (SRS) matrix, which may contain significant errors or even completely fail to capture the real magnitude of the event. We propose a correction of the SRS matrix formulated as slight shifts in the observation locations, effectively warping the sensitivity field. To constrain these shifts and ensure data-driven corrections, we model them using a Gaussian process prior. This prior not only enforces smoothness and sparsity, but also enables posterior prediction of shifts at previously unseen locations. This key feature provides a mechanism for hyper-parameter tuning: the predicted shift field can be visualized on a map and assessed by an expert. We present a user-friendly framework that combines a Bayesian inversion model with correction and a tuning algorithm based on L-curve-like plots and the maps of predicted shifts. The proposed method is demonstrated on three case studies: the ETEX-I experiment, the 137Cs emissions during the 2020 Chernobyl wildfires, and the 106Ru release in 2017.
2026
Accumulation patterns of polychlorinated alkanes in an Arctic marine food web
Polychlorinated alkanes (PCAs), otherwise known as chlorinated paraffins, are contaminants of emerging Arctic concern where our understanding of their occurrence and trophic transfer in Arctic food webs remains limited. To investigate biomagnification potential of PCAs, we analyzed short-chain PCAs: C10-C13 and medium-chain PCAs-C14-17 in three Arctic species: polar cod (Boreogadus saida), ringed seal (Pusa hispida), and polar bear (Ursus maritimus) and Subarctic capelin (Mallotus villosus) samples collected from the northern Barents Sea in 2017 and 2021. PCAs-C10-13 concentrations were low, but detectable in all species, while PCAs-C14-17 concentrations were mainly below detection limits in the mammals. PCAs did not biomagnify, as the lowest concentrations were found in polar bear (0.7 ng g−1 lw) and the highest in capelin (56.9 ng g−1 lw). The PCA homologue profiles were similar among Arctic species, with PCAs-C10-13 dominating in polar cod and marine mammals, which may suggest a contribution from long-range atmospheric transport.
In contrast, PCAs-C14-17 were most abundant in the Subarctic capelin, likely reflecting a different exposure. Despite differing PCAs-C14-17 concentrations among the two fish species, their PCAs-C14-17 homologue profile was similar, indicating uniform global production trends. Subarctic capelin is increasingly being preyed upon by Arctic predators and may facilitate the biological transport of PCAs-C14-17 into Arctic ecosystems.
These findings suggest that climate-driven shifts in species distribution may have the potential to alter contaminant exposure pathways in Arctic marine food webs.
2026
The ISLAS2020 field campaign during February and March 2020 set out to obtain a unique dataset describing the Arctic water cycle using stable water isotope (SWI) observations. Our observation strategy focused on measuring evaporation, deposition, and precipitation, all of which are commonly sub-grid scale processes in numerical weather and climate models. Uncertain parameterizations for these processes can lead to compensating errors, which can go unnoticed; however, evaporation and precipitation can also be investigated with SWIs, as they are an integrated tracer for processes that atmospheric moisture has undergone. The campaign can be divided into two efforts: a localised field experiment in Ny-Ålesund focused on evaporation and deposition, and a larger precipitation collection network distributed around the Nordic Seas. The Ny-Ålesund field experiment lasted three weeks, from 23 February to 15 March 2020, with temperatures reaching below −30 °C. During these weeks, we obtained near-surface, high-resolution (approx. 20 cm) SWI profiles at two deployment sites. Using a newly developed profiling system, we measured SWI gradients in the lowermost 5 and 2 m over fjord water and snow-covered tundra, respectively. These profiles are complemented by fiber-optic distributed sensing (FODS) columns and ambient conditions from nearby meteorological stations. The FODS columns supply continuous, high-resolution (2 cm or finer) temperature profiles above both locations, whereas the meteorological stations provide information on wind speed and direction. We also made a short deployment to the Zeppelin mountain observatory (472 ma.s.l.) for measurements of the isotopic signal in the free-troposphere. Additionally, numerous water samples from the snowpack in and around Ny-Ålesund were taken, in addition to daily fjord water samples from Kongsfjorden. These samples provide the context for the surface conditions under which profiles were collected. Isotopic connections on the synoptic scale are achieved by linking Ny-Ålesund observations with precipitation sampling at locations across the European Arctic, namely Longyearbyen, Tromsø, Andenes, Ålesund, and Bergen. The resulting dataset provides comprehensive insight into the Arctic hydrological cycle and can facilitate the study of phase change processes and transport of water vapour into and out of the Svalbard region. Datasets from the field campaign are publicly available at the PANGAEA data repository (https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.971241, Seidl et al., 2024).
2026
Soil degradation in Europe is projected to accelerate under changing land use and climate
Soil degradation threatens food security and environmental sustainability, yet future projections of it are rare. Using projections from 18 global climate models under two Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) and land-use projections from the Land Use and Climate Across Scales Land Use Change (LUCAS LUC) dataset, we assess future soil vulnerability to degradation by linking a Soil Degradation Proxy (SDP) to climate, land-use, soil characteristics, and socio-economic factors at 7433 observation sites across Europe. We project that by 2071–2100, ~59% of sites may become more vulnerable under the high-emission scenario. Cold forest regions in northern Europe are projected to face increased degradation pressure by ~+0.04SDP. However, some European croplands may improve locally through conversion to secondary lands, reduced human pressures, and natural recovery processes. These regionally specific trends highlight that, while soil degradation remains a major threat, proactive land management can mitigate soil vulnerability under future climate trajectories.
2026
2026
Abstract The International Cooperative Programme on Integrated Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Ecosystems (ICP IM) presents a comprehensive long-term dataset of ongoing integrated ecosystem monitoring from European forested catchments. The dataset encompasses measurements from 46 monitoring stations across 14 European countries, with temporal coverage mostly extending from the early 1990s to 2020 (48 sites are currently active). The integrated monitoring approach applies over 20 monitoring subprogrammes to simultaneously measure physical, chemical, and biological properties across multiple ecosystem compartments including atmosphere, precipitation, throughfall, soil water, groundwater, runoff water, soil, vegetation, and biota. All measurements follow standardised protocols detailed in the ICP IM Manual, ensuring data quality and comparability across sites and time periods. The dataset supports research on ecosystem responses to air pollution, climate change impacts, and biogeochemical cycling. Data are available under a Creative Commons By Attribution (CC BY) licence, providing valuable long-term environmental monitoring data for the scientific community.
2026
Circular Economy (CE) principles seek to eliminate hazardous substances and promote the reuse and recycling of plastic products. However, implementing these principles is challenging due to the wide variety of substances used in plastics, their potential health and environmental risks, the complexities of global supply chains, and concerns regarding reappearance of Chemicals of concern (CoCs) in post-recycled plastics (PRP). This study presents a novel approach for identifying CoCs in the waste stream by assessing the potential presence of chemicals in polymers across different industrial sectors and their hazard categories. With the objective of identifying CoCs that are most problematic regarding their reappearance in new products, selected CoCs are classified into four priority groups based on their physicochemical properties and molecular structures, for further risk and regulatory assessment. The first group includes 88 CoCs, that must be avoided in a circular economy, of which 70% are metalloids and 30% are organic additives. The second group comprises 167 CoCs, mainly additives, whose risks depend heavily on their concentration and specific use in products. The third and fourth groups consist of CoCs that are less frequently found in plastic waste and thus associated with relatively lower risks. Overall, this study offers a practical and adaptable tool to support the identification of hazardous substances in plastic waste, helping stakeholders make informed decisions by removing CoCs and promoting the development of safer alternatives for substitutions.
2026
Coastal aerosols are formed through the complex mixing between marine air masses and continental emissions, which originate from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The properties of coastal aerosols are decisive for their interaction with sunlight and their influence on clouds, as well as the potential health implications for the population in these areas. In this study, the aerosol properties and sources at Aarhus Bay, Denmark, were investigated by combining in situ aerosol light scattering and absorption with size distribution measurements and footprint analysis by FLEXPART. Our analysis demonstrates a considerable contribution of anthropogenic aerosols from both fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning, as well as periods with highly scattering aerosols. Furthermore, good agreement was found between in situ and modelled black-carbon data. Combining in situ measurements and FLEXPART analysis further evidenced a major impact of local emissions, as well as a few long-range transport intrusions.
2026
During summer 2023, Greece experienced one of its most severe wildfire seasons in recent decades, with widespread fires across Evros, Rodopi, Attica, the Peloponnese, and several islands. This study investigates the aerosol optical and microphysical properties, as well as the impact on ground-level ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation over Athens, focusing on two major wildfire episodes (18–21 July and 22–25 August). A synergistic approach was deployed, combining satellite imagery (MODIS), FLEXPART simulations, ground-based remoter sensing, in situ aerosol and radiation measurements. Elevated aerosol optical depths (AOD) up to 1.2, high fine-mode fractions (FMF) (> 0.85), and Ångström exponents (AE) above 1.5 indicated a strong dominance of fine biomass burning aerosols. The Single scattering albedo (SSA) ranged from 0.85 to 0.98, showing enhanced absorption during biomass burning periods and weaker absorption when smoke was mixed with dust. At 320 nm, dust presence resulted in stronger absorption, with SSA below 0.8 for pure dust cases compared to smoke mixtures. Particle linear depolarization ratios (PLDR), varied between 0.03 and 0.20, with higher values (∼ 0.10–0.20) reflecting the presence of non-spherical dust particles, and lower values (∼ 0.03–0.08) indicating spherical smoke particles. Ground-level UVB irradiance decreased by up to 50 % during peak smoke episodes, highlighting strong aerosol radiative impacts. Concurrently, PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations increased to 94 and 49 µg m−3, respectively, while organic aerosols peaked at 22.77 µg m−3, consistent with intense fire activity. FLEXPART simulations confirmed long-range transport of smoke from active fire regions, with additional contributions from regional pollution and Saharan dust.
2026
Physics-Informed Deep Learning for Wind Downscaling over Oslo
Running a numerical weather model such as WRF at kilometre or sub-kilometre grid spacing over a regional domain is computationally expensive. We present physics-informed deeplearning models that ingest a single 9km WRF wind field and simultaneously predict two finer-scale wind fields at 3 km and 1 km resolution via dual decoder heads. Four representative architectures are benchmarked-Deep Residual U-Net (DeepRU), DEVINE, a bespoke 3-D Transformer, and a Fourier Neural Operator (FNO)-each trained with divergence-free, vorticity, and Navier-Stokes residual constraints plus Charbonnier and gradient perceptual losses. We train and validate our models on the city of Oslo for the year 2018. DeepRU achieves R2=0.94 (RMSE =0.050) at 3km and R2=0.89(RMSE=0.065) at 1 km. DEVINE, Transformer 3-D, and FNO yield 3 km scores of 0.91−0.93, with 1km scores lower by 0.02−0.08, illustrating the increased difficulty of finer-scale reconstruction. Physicsinformed losses improve all models compared to MSE-only baselines, and the residual architecture (DeepRU) remains most effective for this dual-scale task.
2025
Abstract Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) is a persistent pollutant with potential long‐term effects on the environment and on health. Recent studies using ice core records report large increases (up to tenfold) in Arctic TFA deposition since the 1970s, and trends suggest long‐lived chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) replacements may be a major source. Here, we use a chemical transport model to examine the global TFA budget arising from CFC replacements–hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)–and inhalation anesthetics. Global TFA deposition from these sources increased ∼3.5‐fold from 6.8 (5.9–7.6) Gg/yr in 2000 to 21.8 (18.6–25.0) Gg/yr in 2022, with cumulative deposition reaching 335.5 Gg. We find HCFC‐123, HCFC‐124, and HFC‐134a account for most modeled TFA production and that long‐lived CFC replacements account for virtually all of the observed Arctic deposition trend. At lower latitudes, our analysis supports the recent emergence of hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) as a TFA source. We conclude that increased TFA monitoring is required.
2026
Characterization of German SF6 Emissions
Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is a highly potent greenhouse gas with a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 24,700 over 100 years and is globally mainly used as an electrical insulator in switchgear. Several measurement networks have tracked SF6 for many years and their European data reveal significant emissions in southern Germany. This study focuses on German SF6 emissions (2020–2023), using atmospheric measurements from 22 European sites, offering high spatial and temporal resolution for robust emission assessments. While German UNFCCC inventory bottom-up emission estimates report a major source of SF6 through the disposal of soundproof windows, the spatial distribution of German SF6 emissions derived on top-down inversion techniques (InTEM and Flexinvert+) reveals a different picture: The continuous pattern of high emissions from a particular region is responsible for one-third of total SF6 emissions in Germany. Despite this, total German SF6 emissions have decreased from 112 ± 26 t in 2020 to 89 ± 15 t in 2023 (InTEM), with estimates from all methods (both bottom-up and top-down) showing similar trends. Our findings suggest that the emissions from soundproof windows are overestimated, while industrial sources - particularly from SF6 production and recycling in the focus region - are likely underestimated.
2025
Abstract Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas with a shorter lifetime than carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), making it an important target for near‐term climate action. The Global Methane Pledge (GMP) aims to cut anthropogenic methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Using an Earth system model with interactive CH 4 sources and sinks, we assess the Pledge's impact through 2050. Results show that current GMP commitments deliver only a 10% cut by 2030—well below the target. Only the maximum technically feasible reduction (MTFR) pathway can achieve the 30% goal. By 2050, current GMP commitments lowers methane concentrations by 3% relative to 2025, while MTFR achieves 8%. Both pathways slow warming slightly, avoiding about 0.1°C of global temperature rise, with the Arctic seeing the greatest benefits (up to 2°C less warming). Without wider participation, the GMP with current signatories will fall short of its targets and Paris Agreement goals.
2026
Scaling number concentration measurements from bioaerosol monitors using Hirst-type samplers
The instruments used for routine pollen monitoring are gradually changing from traditional impactors with manual data processing to automated pollen monitors using deterministic and/or machine-learning algorithms for data analysis. This manuscript compares pollen number concentration of Alnus sp., Betula sp., Corylus sp., and Poaceae measured by Hirst-type bioaerosol samplers and the SwisensPoleno automated bioaerosol monitor in Switzerland and Norway. Due to physical particle losses and the classification rate of the algorithms being well below unity, scaling factors had to be applied to the measurements of the SwisensPoleno to match those of the Hirst impactor. These scaling factors depended on the geographic location, i.e. differed significantly between Switzerland and Norway. The importance of adjusting the scaling factors according to the location of the monitoring network and the need for reporting the numerical values of these scaling factors in future scientific publications is emphasized.
2026
Urban areas experience elevated air pollution levels which pose significant health risks. Reducing exposure to poor air quality and mitigating the associated negative health impacts requires informed policy measures. This study advances urban air quality modelling by developing an air quality model (baseline model) and further integrating measurements from a network of low-cost sensors and regulatory monitors into the model output (data fusion model). The resulting data fusion model provides accurate air quality data in high spatiotemporal resolution. The data fusion model showed higher PM2.5 concentrations during evening hours and winter months, with a population-weighted exposure to PM2.5 almost twice as high as predicted by the baseline model during these months. The models exhibited different spatial patterns, with the data fusion model showing a shift in peak concentrations from the city centre to residential areas, where levels were up to 10 µg/m3 higher than the baseline model. These differences are likely attributable to an underestimation of residential emissions in the baseline model. While both models were FAIRMODE compliant, the data fusion model showed a reduced bias for most monitoring stations compared to the baseline model. The data fusion model enabled a more accurate assessment of existing policies, specifically those aimed at reducing urban air pollution from solid fuel burning. Moreover, by identifying locations and sectors which contribute significantly to high levels of PM2.5, the data fusion model supports the formation of targeted air quality policies. This enables cities to maximise reductions in air pollution and exposures, thereby safeguarding public health.
2026
Maritime sector pathways toward net-zero emissions within global energy scenarios
Abstract The maritime sector’s transition toward decarbonization cannot occur in isolation, rather it will be tied to broader transformations in energy, economic, and societal systems. Yet, most existing studies often overlook this integrated perspective, focusing primarily on sector-specific strategies without considering broader societal changes and energy availability on a global scale. To address this gap, this study integrates the MariTeam ship emission model into the MESSAGEix-GLOBIOM integrated assessment framework. Through this approach, we assess how climate scenarios may influence the maritime sector’s trajectory toward achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) targets. Our findings indicate that action before 2030 is crucial and it can be achieved through combining four key solutions: improvements in energy efficiency, biofuels, liquefied hydrogen, and ammonia. Furthermore, the results suggest that the maritime sector could have access to enough renewables to achieve substantial emissions reductions with increase in final product costs ranging from 2 to 30% (interquartile range) with variations across products and regions. On average, cost increases are estimated at 10.2% for Global North countries and 13.3% for Global South countries. This analysis highlights the urgency and scale of transformation required for the maritime industry to meet the IMO’s net-zero ambitions and align with broader global sustainability goals.
2026
Urban Living Labs as Inter- and Transdisciplinary Arenas for Sustainability Planning Research
The transition towards sustainable societies necessitates inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge, particularly in urban planning, where diverse knowledge traditions are crucial for decision-making. Despite this, planning practices often remain entrenched in institutional and legal frameworks that hinder the integration of multiple ways of knowing and undervalue lay knowledge. Researcher-led urban innovation processes are increasingly adopting experimental approaches for the multi-stakeholder co-creation of knowledge, addressing urban challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. This article addresses the interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers in experimental urban planning processes by examining a research project that focused on participatory environmental co-monitoring and planning for urban air quality in Nordic contexts. The study builds a bridge between theories of interdisciplinarity, urban experimentation, and planning theory. By presenting urban living labs (ULLs) as arenas for co-learning that integrate scientific and lay knowledge, the article explores how planning researchers can facilitate mutual learning and navigate the micropolitics of knowledge co-production. We develop the concept of cross-disciplinary unknowns to highlight the dynamics and challenges in research teams with diverse epistemological backgrounds. We argue that an explicit and structured approach for explicating epistemological differences can facilitate the detection of unreflected knowledge retention between disciplines.
2026