Biogenic emissions in the Mediterranean area

Objective

To quantify the emission rates of selected reactive trace gases from vegetation to the atmosphere in the Mediterranean Basin.


The BEMA project will focus on those trace gas species that take an active part in tropospheric photochemistry, especially reactive volatile organic compounds and reactive oxygenated species.

The core of the study will be a series of intensive field measurement campaigns conducted at a minimum of three sites in France, Italy and Spain. Both emission fluxes and the ambient concentrations of the primary compounds and their reaction products will be determined.

The field measurement campaigns will be complemented by a series of other activities, including the identification of the major vegetation types in the mediterranean Basin, intercomparison exercises, laboratory experiments to identify emitted species and hydrocarbon reaction products.


Emission and concentration data obtained from these and other sites will be extrapolated to allow an estimation of the emission and concentration of these trace gases from vegetation in the entire Mediterranean Basin. Comparisons will be made with anthropogenic concentrations.

These data will be of value for the parameterisation of tropospheric chemistry models and in particular will allow assessment of the role of these compounds to ozone formation and consumption. Without such data the effects of proposed EC emission control strategies on ozone formation cannot be predicted for the photochemically active Mediterranean region.

The project is related to a first phase 1994-1995, mostly devoted to the measuring campaigns; a second is foreseen for 1996-97, to complete the in-field measurements and to scale-up the experimental data.

A preliminary measuring exercise of 15 days with the participation of all 13 laboratories involved has been performed at Castelporziano near Rome in June 1993. The exercise was successful in providing information on the test site and in tuning the BEMA objectives.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › chemical sciences › organic chemistry › volatile organic compounds
• natural sciences › chemical sciences › physical chemistry › photochemistry
• natural sciences › chemical sciences › organic chemistry › hydrocarbons

Programme(s)

• FP3-ENV 1C - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of the environment, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

• 0201 - Assessment of environmental quality and monitoring

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF ITALY

Address

Unical-polifunzionale
87036 Rende
Italy

Participants (11)

CENTRO DE INVESTIGACIONES ENERGETICAS, MEDIAMBIENTALES Y TECNOLOGICAS

Spain

Address

22,avenida Complutense 22
28040 Madrid

FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

Germany

Address

Kreuzeckbahnstrasse 19
82467 Garmisch-partenkirchen

GSF - FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER UMWELT UND GESUNDHEIT GMBH

Germany

Address

Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1
85764 Neuherberg

Links

INSTITUTE OF HEALTH CARLOS III

Spain

Address

Calle Sinesio Delgardo 6
28029 Madrid

Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse

France

Address

118 Route De Narbonne
31077 Toulouse

LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH

Germany

Address

Theresienstra?e 37
80333 Munchen

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN E.V.

Germany

Address

Saarstraße 23
55020 Mainz

NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH 'DEMOKRITOS'

Greece

Address

Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis
15310 Athens

UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER

United Kingdom

Address

Bailrigg
LA1 4YQ Lancaster /High Bantham

UNIVERSITY OF ROME "LA SAPIENZA"

Italy

Address

2,piazzale Aldo Moro 5
00185 Roma

Université de Grenoble I (Université Joseph Fourier)

France

Address

1 Rue François Raoult
38000 Grenoble