AEROS was a collaborative research project aimed at improving the understanding of the chemical composition, optical properties, and sources of particulate matter. The project focused in particular on assessing the chemical characteristics of aerosols and quantifying the sources contributing to the organic fraction in Romania, in comparison with Switzerland and other European countries. An integrated approach was adopted, combining lidar observations with in situ measurements to comprehensively characterize particulate matter from both optical and chemical perspectives.
The project included the upgrade of Romanian instrumentation, notably through the integration of a scattering module into the Romanian Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). It also involved intercomparison studies between C-ToF-AMS and HR-ToF-AMS instruments under controlled conditions in the PSI smog chamber, as well as during ambient measurements. Field campaigns were conducted in Romania and Switzerland, including within the framework of the EMEP/ACTRIS intensive observation periods, using multiwavelength lidar systems and AMS instruments. Data analysis and publication focused particularly on the source apportionment of organic aerosols and on integrated analyses of summer campaigns.
AEROS strengthened scientific collaboration between Romanian and Swiss partners and facilitated knowledge transfer in atmospheric chemistry from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) to the Romanian research team. The project contributed to diversifying and enhancing the research capacity of the Romanian group, generating a detailed database of the optical and chemical properties of local and long-range transported aerosols in Bucharest and Zurich. It also increased the visibility of atmospheric remote sensing within the scientific community and in society.
The project ran between 2012 and 2016.