In the context of urban air quality, we have long been concerned with the complex factors regulating ozone formation in the lower layer (1-2 km) of our atmosphere. In order to understand how the traffic affects ozone production, we first consider the properties of gasoline and diesel vehicles.
We have determined with our measurements how much hydrocarbons (VOC) and nitric oxide concentrations in German city centres have declined over the last 20 years. With these results we have modelled the ozone production rate.

From our research to date, the problem of the high ozone production rate in cities is, at present, solved. Now, the problems of nitric oxide emissions and fine dust loads must also be tackled. It should be ensured that old problems are not brought back to the back door or create new problems - therefore, air-chemical investigations are essential!

More information about our air quality research

Our research methods also include the operation of MOBILAB. The mobile laboratory has been in operation since 2016. It is equipped with a comprehensive gas phase and particle analysis, which allows highly time-resolved measurements. It can be operated while driving, or stationary when there is electrical power available.

More information about the measurement platform

In the working group, we deal with the development of various analytical procedures and use different analytical methods:

• Gas chromatographic analysis of trace gas samples in stainless steel canisters (Restek "Silcosteel")

  • Organic trace gas content in gas samples (in ambient air and tail pipe exhaust)
  • Analysis of breath samples for medical purposes
• Signature analysis for the determination of the Diesel soot contribution to particulate matter
• Determination of organic carbon, elemental carbon (soot) and mineral components in by heating-up particulate matter and using sensitive cavity ringdown-based CO₂- and H₂O-detection techniques
• Operation of Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometers (TDLAS) as  reference method of trace gas analysis and for the direct detection of trace gases in the ppt-range

More information about the analytical methods

_{Banner photo: © Forschungszentrum Jülich / M. G. Adam}