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How can we find out what kind of air we breathe? And can a smartphone help us take care of our own environmental safety?
These were some of the key questions addressed during the open online lecture entitled “European- and Ukrainian expirience in calculating air quality indeces,” delivered on October 13 by Sofiia Fedorchenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry, to 11th-grade students of the Ivano-Frankivsk Scientific Physics and Technical Lyceum of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Council.
Modern environmental monitoring is no longer limited to laboratory research and sophisticated analytical instruments. Today, it involves extensive sensor networks, automated monitoring stations, digital platforms, and interactive maps that allow everyone to access information about environmental conditions in near real time.
During the lecture, we discussed major air pollutants, the dangers of fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), air quality indices (AQI), and their importance in assessing risks to human health. Students were introduced to Ukrainian environmental monitoring systems such as EcoCity, SaveEcoBot, and LUN Misto AIR, as well as the national digital platforms EcoSystem and EcoZagroza.
Interestingly, one of these initiatives, EcoCity, originated in Ivano-Frankivsk and has since developed into a nationwide citizen-based air quality monitoring network!
A separate part of the lecture focused on Ukraine’s environmental safety during the war. Air, water, and soil pollution caused by Russian aggression presents challenges that require not only public attention but also scientific knowledge, modern technologies, and responsible decision-making.
The lecture was held within the framework of the international Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module project “Monitoring of Environmental Objects in the Context of European Integration,” implemented by the Department of Chemistry at Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University.
We hope that, for some of the lyceum students, this meeting became another step towards developing an interest in natural sciences, scientific research, and modern technologies.
After all, it is today’s young people, who are now choosing their professional paths, who will develop solutions for a safer future for Ukraine!