Project description
Drones analyse hazardous VOCs from fires
Earth’s warming climate is increasing forest fires, which release dangerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that pose serious health risks. Monitoring these toxic emissions is vital, yet doing so manually is far too hazardous for ground teams. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the VOCfireDRONE project aims to solve this by using specialised drones to collect air samples directly above active fire zones. These drones carry advanced sorptive extraction samplers to capture chemical markers, which are later analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This method determines the identity and concentration of carcinogens in the smoke. By mapping how these compounds evolve, the project provides the data needed to protect firefighters and nearby communities from toxic exposure.
Objective
Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time that has led to a dramatic escalation in the frequency and intensity of forest fires. As global warming continues to increase, addressing the challenge to investigate their effects has never been more urgent. A major concern that arises during a forest fire is the rapid and intense release of hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the environment that can be toxic and potentially carcinogenic. These hazardous compounds continue to be emitted even after the extinguishment of a forest fire, while new toxic compounds can be also formed. Focusing on minimizing their adverse effects on human health, the comprehensive monitoring of VOCs release during and after a forest fire is of utmost importance. To be able to obtain an as realistic and comprehensive estimate as possible on the chemical identity, concentration, and temporal profile of hazardous compounds, it is imperative to do the sampling as close as possible to the point of emission, which indicates the demand for a remote-controlled drone-sampling device. The overall aim of this project is thus to develop a powerful drone sampling system that can be used for the monitoring of toxic VOCs during and after a forest fire, focusing on decreasing the risks that occur from human exposure to these compounds. The drone will be equipped with a novel type of sorptive extraction samplers and laboratory analysis will be performed using one- and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to elucidate the extremely complex pattern of VOCs being produced by these events. This aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the damage caused to first responders and the exposed population due to the emission of toxic and harmful compounds during forest fires.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering electronic engineering robotics autonomous robots drones
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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1040 Wien
Austria
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