News
Elgas evaluates air quality on ships
The Antwerp Maritime Acadamy (AMA), in collaboration VITO and KDG University College, wants to evaluate air quality on board of ships in order to be able to assess potential health risks.
Maritime shipping and inland waterway transport are essential elements of the complex transport chain that is crucial to ensuring our prosperity, contributing 36,8% and 3,7% respectively to cargo transport. An important difference, however, is that seafarers literally live on board of their vessels for longer periods of time, in the case of inland shipping operators often with their entire family. Both during work hours and on down time they risk being exposed to possible air pollution, such as exhaust or cargo fumes.
Aim
The Antwerp Maritime Acadamy (AMA), in collaboration VITO and KDG University College, wants to evaluate air quality on board of ships in order to be able to assess potential health risks. To this purpose the team will develop an adequate, user-friendly measuring device that monitors several parameters continuously, will implement this device on several vessels and will formulate practical recommendations to improve air quality.
There are many factors that impact air quality on board of a ship, and particularly in the crew accommodations. Our device and its output will help us understand the fluctuations and their causes. This in turn will allow us to work out the proper solutions, such as more efficient ventilation systems or air purifiers. Also it will allow us to evaluate the efficacy of current technology.
Get involved
Please contact us if you are interested in the analysis of air quality and the challenge of translating these data into reliable assumptions with regard to health impact. If you are a champ in translating these complex data into accessible and attractive visualisations, welcome on board! Are you in the business of developing solutions to improve air quality, again do not hesitate to contact us. Maybe your innovation will make the difference.
eu.reca will keep you posted on the progress and outcome of this project. Air Quality is an important topic within the eu.reca network. Being situated in the Antwerp region, close to one of Europe’s major harbours, the health of seafarers strongly resonates with us.
Contact
Olivier Schalm (AMA)
E: olivier.schalm@hzs.be
Jade Verrept (eu.reca)
E: info@eureca.world
More news
Survey on air quality in your healthcare practice
Call for a national asthma plan
A eu.reca Pulmonary Innovation Company
