Environment

CUBAIR: a prototype for purifying indoor air

CUBAIR : un prototype pour purifier l’air intérieur

Improving indoor air quality? That’s what the CUBAIR project aims to do. By developing a new treatment system, researchers have managed to significantly reduce fine particle concentration and nitrogen oxides.   An important reminder: indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air. In addition to the automobile exhaust and …

+

Fine particles: how can their impact on health be better assessed?

fine particles

In order to assess the danger posed by fine particles in ambient air, it is crucial to do more than simply take regulatory measurements of their mass in the air. The diversity of their chemical composition means that different toxicological impacts are possible for an equal mass. Chemists at IMT …

+

What’s new in the atmosphere?

atmosphere

In conjunction with the 4th National Conference on Air Quality held in Montrouge on 9 and 10 October 2018, I’MTech sat down with François Mathé, a researcher in atmospheric sciences at IMT Lille Douai to ask him five questions. He gave us a glimpse of the major changes ahead in …

+

The contest for the worst air pollutant

Laurent Alleman, IMT Lille Douai – Institut Mines-Telecom In its report published on June 28, 2018, the French Agency for Health Safety (ANSES) presented a list of 13 new priority air pollutants to monitor. Several air pollutants that are harmful to human health are already regulated and closely monitored at …

+

Will the earth stop rotating after August 1st?

Earth

By Natacha Gondran, researcher at Mines Saint-Étienne, and Aurélien Boutaud. The original version of this article (in French) was published in The Conversation. It has become an annual summer tradition, much like France’s Music Festival or the Tour de France. Every August, right when French people are focused on enjoying …

+

Atmospheric reactive trace gases: low concentrations, major consequences

Despite only being present in very small quantities, trace gases leave their mark on the atmospheric composition. Since they are reactive, they may lead to the formation of secondary compounds such as ozone or aerosols that have a significant impact on health and the climate. IMT Lille Douai is a …

+

What is a volatile organic compound (VOC)?

VOC, Volatile organic compound

Pollution in urban areas is a major public health issue. While peaks in the concentration of fine particles often make the news, they are not the only urban pollutants. Volatile organic compounds, or VOC, also present a hazard. Some are carcinogenic, while others react in the atmosphere, contributing to the …

+

How eco-design earned its place in the corporate world

eco-design

Natacha Gondran, Mines Saint-Étienne – Institut Mines-Télécom In the 1970s, regulations were introduced to require companies to prevent industrial pollution. Examples include the Clean Air Act (1970) in the United States and legislation on facilities classified for the protection of the environment in France (1976). Since then, awareness has grown …

+

Waste worth its weight in gold

waste, Ange Nzihou

For Ange Nzihou, waste is a valuable material. For over ten years, this researcher has been working on recovering waste to turn it into an important economic resource. However, his greatest scientific accomplishments have taken place outside the laboratories of IMT Mines Albi. Throughout his career, Ange Nzihou has done …

+