ACTRIS facilitates cooperation across borders. A great example of this is SACA-ACTRIS: a joint project between ACTRIS-CH and ACTRIS-CZ funded by the Swiss-Czech Cooperation Programme. SACA-ACTRIS aims to upgrade aerosol and trace‑gas monitoring with new aerosol optics, source‑apportionment, and QA/QC tools, delivering high‑resolution black‑carbon maps and improved VOC measurements for the Czech Republic, and enabling targeted actions to improve air quality and public health.
Joint measurement campaigns are a key part of the project. Empa scientists Zoé Le Bras and Pascal Rubli recently visited the National Atmospheric Observatory in Košetice, CZ to begin one of these campaigns. They are comparing advanced online PTR-TOF-MS and GC-FID instruments to improve the monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The project supports the transfer of harmonized QA/QC procedures and the development of new approaches for near real-time interpretation and validation of VOCs. A follow up intercomparison campaign is planned for 2027 in Switzerland.
