The aim is to map the pollution in the municipality, evaluate its development, and reinforce the City Council’s strategy to reduce pollution with objective data.
With the aim of measuring and evaluating the municipality’s air quality, the City Council is working with technological company Bettair and together they have installed seven sensors in various parts of the city. Both parties have signed a collaboration agreement to make this possible.
This initiative will help map the municipality’s air pollution, evaluate its development, and reinforce the City Council’s strategy to reduce pollution with objective data, thus moving towards a healthier city.
The sensors will analyse pollutants CO, O3, NO, NO2, PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 for one year. They were installed at the end of April and beginning of May in the following locations:
- Camí del Crist Treballador (entrance to Avenç school): it will be possible to evaluate the generation of dust particles from before and after the new pavement being laid this summer.
- Carrer Dolors Bigas (entrance to L’Olivera school): a school area close to the C16 and AP7/B30 motorways.
- Rambla Ribatallada: a street with heavy traffic and high tree population. A comparison will be made with another sensor located on Av. Rius and Taulet, which has similar traffic levels but almost no trees.
- Avinguda Rius I Taulet: a street with heavy traffic and low tree population. A comparison will be made with the sensor located on Rambla Ribatallada.
- Carrer Guadalajara: a street with very heavy traffic as it is the closest urban point to the AP7/B30 motorway (11 lanes on this section of the motorway).
- Parc Central (c. Josep Vidal i Granés): an area with a very low level of traffic and street very close to an urban park. It will be possible to measure the air quality in open spaces and evaluate the importance of green infrastructures.
- Parc de Sant Francesc: with the collaboration with the Generalitat, the sensor has been installed above the Air Pollution Monitoring and Forecasting Network (XVPCA). The aim is to obtain more data and compare it with that of the station.
The installation of the sensors is part of the measurement plan that the City Council is promoting in various areas in order to deal with the climate emergency and improve air quality. It should be noted that the first results of the study on the retrieval of pollutants from the city’s trees have recently been presented, or that in the field of mobility, the number of bike lanes and Low Emissions Zone (ZBE) have been increased.
Mayor of Sant Cugat, Mireia Ingla, explained, “we know there is a very direct relationship between air quality and health. That’s why we put technology at the service of the people and in this case, to measure pollution. These new times need innovative measures and instruments that allow us to guarantee and improve the quality of life for citizens”.
The presentation of the installation project was attended by Mayor, Mireia Inglas; Deputy Mayor of Presidency, Finance, Urban Services, Mobility & Security, Pere Soler; Councillor for Sustainability, Alba Gordó; Councillor for Education and President of the Mirasol Neighbourhood Council, Pilar Gorina; and Co-Founder and CEO of Bettair, Josep Perelló.
To access to the original press release please go to: https://santcugat.cat/noticia/sant-cugat-instala-set-sensors-per-mesurar-la-qualitat-de-laire-i-avancar-cap-a-una-ciutat-mes-saludable#
