Scientific Highlights
Both natural and human emissions shape cloud formation high above Earth
What happens inside the CLOUD chamber?
Study reveals: Smoke from crop residue burning worsens air pollution in Indian cities
Identifying the main source of air pollution in Indian cities is crucial to reducing the many deaths caused by fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) – deaths that during the harvest season can account for up to half of all air pollution-related fatalities. An international research team lead by the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has investigated in detail the sources of the organic components of fine particulate matter in the northern Indian cities of Delhi and Kanpur, located in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Using novel high-resolution molecular measurement techniques and advanced data analysis, the researchers were able to precisely identify and quantify the sources of organic fine particulate matter.
Pollutants often originate in the air
In the CLOUD experiment at CERN, PSI researchers have measured with unprecedented precision how harmful organic air pollutants are formed and dispersed.
News
New Study Reveals Surprising Climate Benefits of Agriculture
The big challenges our planet faces—like climate change, food supply, water, and biodiversity—are all interlinked. While agriculture continues to be the primary source of food for human kind, it imposes climate challenges especially through emissions like greenhouse gases and ammonia. To solve this, we need a new approach that reduces the harmful effects of farming on the climate.
Andrea Baccarini – Winner of the Prix de Quervain
Andrea Baccarini, former PhD at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry at PSI won the prestigious Prix de Quervain.
Jungfraujoch Carbon Balance Campaign measures wildfire emissions from southern Europe
The Jungfraujoch Carbon Balance Campaign is a measuring campaign within the ACTRIS project. It is conducted by the Paul Scherrer Institute in collaboration with the Stiftung HFSJG, Empa, FHNW, as well as groups from Lille (France), York (England), and Aerosol d.o.o. (Slovenia). The campaign’s aim is to comprehensively measure and characterize the diversity of carbon-containing molecules present in the air in hopes to obtain helpful information on their role in climate and weather relevant processes.