The AIT Austrian Institute of Technology is an active research partner in the European IDEAL Cluster (Indoor Environmental Air Quality and Health). This project, funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) with a budget of 50 million euros, includes the InChildHealth project, in which AIT is a partner. It aims to improve air quality in schools.
The two Competence Units Bioresources and Molecular Diagnostics of the AIT Center for Health and Bioresources are working closely together on this project and are making a significant contribution to the identification and reduction of chemical and microbiological pollutants in indoor air through their research. The InChildHealth project focuses on the investigation of air quality in schools and the development of measures to improve it. The results of this project will be fundamental for the formulation of new standards and methods for indoor air purification.
Interdisciplinary collaboration between the groups at AIT
Clara Pogner, Research Engineer in the Competence Unit Bioresources and project leader of the project at AIT explains: "Together with my colleague Ivan Barisic, from our Competence Unit Molecular Diagnostics , we are working on detecting airborne pathogens quickly and cheaply, as well as getting a holistic view of biodiversity in the air". Principal Scientist Winfried Neuhaus's group from the Molecular Diagnostics Competence Unit is also involved in the project. The group is developing a pipeline to determine the toxicity of substances isolated from dust and air using cell models of human organs (lungs, liver, kidneys, brain).
The data generated by the AIT should flow into a risk assessment system, which should help, if necessary, to suggest possible improvements and necessary interventions to improve air quality.
The IDEAL cluster
The IDEAL Cluster (Indoor Environmental Air Quality and Health) is a central European research project dedicated to improving indoor air quality. It comprises seven specific projects and involves over 120 European organizations. Funded with 50 million euros by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA), the cluster aims to investigate the impact of indoor air pollution on health and develop effective countermeasures.
The projects
In addition to InChildHealth, the LEARN and SynAir-G cluster projects also focus on schools, K-HEALTHinAIR on hospital environments, while the INQUIRE project focuses on domestic environments with infants and young children under the age of five. EQIADI and TwinAIR are dedicated to different indoor environments such as homes, schools, workplaces, transportation and hospitals.
More information about the IDEAL Cluster: https://www.idealcluster.eu/