Measuring equipment travelled across the Europe - GIANT measurement campaigns were successfully accomplished in Düsseldorf and Prague

The first international measurement campaigns of the GIANT project have been completed. Both campaigns went as expected and useful data was collected.

Installation of measuring equipment in Düsseldorf. Photo by Mohamed Elsayed, Tampere University

In addition to the measurement campaigns in Finland, the GIANT project also runs measurements abroad. The project's first international measurement campaign took place in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 10 to 24 March 2025, followed by a second campaign in Prague, Czech Republic, from 26 March to 9 April.

In Düsseldorf, the measurements were performed at the IUF (Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine) in an office room with three workstations.

Measuring equipment on the roof of a building in Prague. Photo by Laura Salo, Tampere University

Ville Silvonen, researcher at the Tampere University, was on site in Germany to run and supervise the measurements. The building where the data was collected was built in 1969 and is mechanically ventilated. The building is located next to a busy road. There are two lanes in both directions and a tramway.

“We measured indoor and outdoor air alternately, automatically switching between them every 15 minutes”, Silvonen explains.

In the Czech Republic, the measurements were run in a secondary school, founded in 1901 and housed in an old stone building.

"The building is located near the center of Prague. It too measured both outdoor and indoor air”, says Laura Salo, researcher at the Tampere University who supervised the measurements in Prague.

Wide range of equipment made the journey by freight

Both Germany and the Czech Republic had very extensive measuring equipment.

“The equipment was transported by freight from Finland to Germany, from there to the Czech Republic and back to Finland”, says Silvonen.

The measurements included characterization of both gaseous pollutants and fine particles. In addition, the chemical composition of gases and particles was studied using mass spectrometers.

"The number and size distribution of ultrafine particles were measured from 1 nanometer upwards. In addition, the mass concentration of black carbon was measured, and samples were collected for toxicological analysis”, says Silvonen.

According to Silvonen, the measurements were similar to those performed in Vantaa earlier this spring.

“However, the Vantaa site was exceptional in terms of the environment, as it was located right next to the airport.”

In Dusseldorf and Prague, a wide range of measuring equipment was involved. The picture shows the measuring equipment in Düsseldorf. Photo by Mohamed Elsayed, Tampere University

Central Europe often has a different aerosol composition

There have been two measurement campaigns in Finland so far, but why is GIANT also carrying out measurement campaigns abroad?

According to Silvonen, aerosol composition abroad often differs significantly from conditions in Finland. In Central Europe, regional emissions are more predominant, while in Finland the impact of local sources is often more pronounced.

Ville Silvonen installs measuring equipment in Düsseldorf. Photo by Mohamed Elsayed, Tampere University

"This affects the size distribution and composition of the particles and thus the transport of particles from the outside air to the inside. Finland is therefore a rather exceptional region in terms of air pollution. On average, the air is very clean. Measurements made abroad can be more generalized to the European and global scale", he explains.

Overall, both measurement campaigns went well, and data was successfully collected.

“The measurements resulted in an intact data set, and it will be interesting to start analyzing it”, says Silvonen.

The international measurements involved the University of Tampere and the Finnish Meteorological Institute, and the companies Airyn, Air0 and Pegasor.

Other partners in Düsseldorf were Tina Wahle and Roel Schins, and in Prague Jan Topinka, Tereza Červená and Michal Vojtisek-Lom.

Julia Koski

GIANT communications

The GIANT project focuses on understanding the role of emerging pollutants, such as ultrafine particles, black carbon, volatile organic compounds, and secondary aerosols in indoor and outdoor spaces, and how the new WHO global air quality guidelines will transform the international markets by creating a need for advanced IAQ solutions. 

Comprising a diverse consortium of five research institutes, municipalities, cities, and companies specializing in instrumental development, aerosol measurements, air purification, ventilation, and data visualization, the GIANT project forms a multidisciplinary approach. The overarching themes of the project include outdoor environments, building and construction technologies and design, as well as indoor environments. Strong international collaboration further enriches the project, bringing top-level global expertise and infrastructures to the project. 

Research organizations involved in the project are Tampere University, Finnish Meteorological Institute, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, University of Helsinki, and University of Eastern Finland. 

Companies involved in the project with parallel company projects are Air0 Oy, Airmodus Oy, Cervi Oy, Gasera Oy, Pegasor Oy, Realin Oy and Velco Oy. Airyn Technologies Oy, the city of Helsinki, the city of Tampere, the city of Vantaa, Dekati Oy, Entos Oy, e-Group Oy, Halton Oy, Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority HSY, Inspector Sec Oy (ISEC), and Lifa Air Oy are cooperation partners in the project. The project is coordinated by Tamlink Ltd.