ULTRHAS

The EU-funded ULTRHAS project will reveal the health threats posed by nanoparticles from different transport sources and provide guidance for policy development to improve air quality and health. They may be tiny, but ultrafine particles (UFPs) can pose a big health risk. For instance, inhalation of these nano-sized particles has been associated with respiratory diseases. Non-regulated nanoparticle emissions from transport sources belong to this category of high concern. The ULTRHAS project will reveal the health threats posed by nanoparticles from different transport sources. Specifically, it will address the impact of different transport modes, fuel technologies and wear components, including atmospheric ageing processes, on the physicochemical characteristics of particulate and gaseous emissions. To study the harmful effects in the lung, the project will apply emission measurement, exposure, and toxicity-testing approaches under highly controlled laboratory conditions. ULTRHAS will provide enhanced understanding of the health threats posed by UFP-emissions from different transport modes, optimize a framework for toxicity and hazard assessment of aerosols, and provide guidance for policy development to improve air quality and promote health and wellbeing. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 955390.