Health Relevant Environmental Analysis – Aerosol Research (HAR)
The impact of aerosol particles on human health is an important aspect of the investigation of environmental health and health related environmental analysis. This research field is a main topic of the program "Environmental Health" being established at the HMGU.
Epidemiological studies reveal that the mean life expectancy in Germany is reduced by 10.2 months due to fine particle pollution. The main research topics of the Joint Mass Spectrometry Centre in cooperation with the Institute of Epidemiology at the HMGU deal with the investigation of aerosol properties correlated with health effects, mainly analysis of the organics and investigation of parameters probably responsible for health effects.
In the field of environmental and process analysis, thermal processes such as combustion and pyrolysis are of special interest.
