The University of Miskolc, Miskolc City Council and Miskolc Communication Non-profit Ltd. (MIKOM) jointly participate in the HungAIRy LIFE integrated project aiming to improve air quality in 8 Hungarian regions by implementing air quality plans. Designing a particulate matter monitoring network is an important part of the project, and after 2-year preparatory work, the first monitoring stations were established on 17 February 2021.

The city-wide air quality network was designed by the University of Miskolc to provide the public with easy access to local air quality information. Real-time air quality data will be available via a mobile app and website from 2021. Monitoring helps in assessing the levels of PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 and in planning effective measures to improve air quality. These measures will be included in the air quality plans renewed every two years.

The first equipment was installed on the wall of the Miskolc City Council on 17 February 2021. During a handover ceremony, the Rector of Miskolc University, Zita Horváth and the Mayor of Miskolc, Pál Veres announced the opening of the new monitoring station.

The Mayor enhanced in his speech that it is vitally important for Miskolc to reduce air pollution of the city, and it has become the relevant part of the Mayor’s “Great Miskolc” programme. Consequently, it is gratifying that the City Council can collaborate with the University of Miskolc in the HungAIRy project. However, it wasn’t the first environmental action in Miskolc over the past year. During the mission for a cleaner air and greener city, garden waste burning was banned by the Miskolc City Council last September. At the same time, awareness raising campaign on composting was launched under the HungAIRy project. In the framework of the campaign, the city of Miskolc has offered 600 free compost to residents. Last year, Eco-manager Office was established under the authority of Miskolc City Council to coordinate environmental activities, provide consulting services, and provide information for anyone interested in composting, said the Mayor. 

The University of Miskolc has the appropriate knowledge to be the only higher education institution being engaged in the HungAIRy project activities. The University of Miskolc, as the principal actor of the region, shall be committed to tackling climate change and improving air quality in Miskolc. It is important for all of us to build and live in sustainable city.

Hopefully, the air quality monitoring network that was designed by the University of Miskolc to provide air pollution data to the general public, will help move us to a sustainable future, said Prof Dr Zita Horváth, the Rector of Miskolc University.

Csongor Báthory, the project manager of the University of Miskolc and one of the developers of the system, presented that their development is a low-cost sensor system; the sensors are much cheaper to operate than the monitoring stations operated by National Air Pollution Measurement Network. Although, air quality data providing by sensors is not as accurate and durable as data provided by the monitoring stations, but sensors are not intended to be an alternative, but rather serving as a complement to the national network system, and it was developed to provide the public with easy access to local air quality information.

The microcontroller-based monitoring sensors provide direct detection of particles and able to measure the changes in temperature, humidity and atmospheric pressure. Each sensor unit deployed in the network, is calibrated in the laboratory of the Institute of Energy- and Quality Affairs.

The sites of the air quality monitoring network was designated in cooperation with Miskolc City Council. Based on the data measured by the monitoring system, air pollution sources of Miskolc can be identified and analysed. All these activities are coordinated by the Eco-Management Office in the Miskolc City Council. The results of the monitoring system will also be used for awareness-raising and educational purposes, in order to improve air quality and reduce burden of diseases attributed to air pollution. Citizens can be also more conscious about reducing air pollution, we can make our life more environmental friendly by using sustainable heating systems, embracing green transportation modes, and composting. Real-time data will be available to the general public from June 2021.