The Netherlands suffers from high nitrogen emission and one of the major industrial pollutants is NO2. Unfortunately, it proves difficult to locally measure NO2 levels on the ground, but even more so in the earth atmosphere. In GELSONDE, we propose a novel, low-cost and portable NO2 sensor that we will build with a team of materials chemists and sensor specialists. The new sensor is able to accurately measure NO2 levels anywhere on the ground, as well as on high altitudes.

As the chemical industry shifts towards electrified and circular chemical processes, methane is expected to become a major bottleneck for closing the carbon loop. It is critical that methane is valorised rather than burnt for energy to achieve zero CO2 emissions. This project develops ultrafast plasma pyrolysis of methane to ethylene as innovative and economically viable technology for methane valorisation. It requires fundamental insight into chemical kinetics occurring on microsecond timescales, which are resolved by combining solid state microwave generators with mid-infrared frequency combs spectroscopy.

Occupational exposures have been identified as a significant health risk. When a hazardous gas escapes at a workplace, safety needs to be guaranteed for the workers and the team in action to fix the problem. For this, it is important to know the distribution of the substance at the workplace. We propose a novel and innovative technological approach towards mapping the individual exposure that could have significant societal relevance. The innovation consists of the combination of two technologies: laser-based spectroscopy and imaging methods using infrared cameras generating a 3D map of the multispecies gas concentrations in real time.

Digital tool for optimal plastic recycling. Do you discard plastic waste in a separate bin, or is your waste sorted in a recycling center? Waste collection differs per region because each region deals with different waste streams, human behavior, and technical possibilities. Unfortunately, current policies are far from optimal: only 30% of Dutch consumer waste plastic is recycled. Therefore, MUNITION will develop a digital tool, calculating the optimal solution for plastic recycling based on regional specifics with which regional stakeholders can together develop evidence-based choices between pre-sorting or post-sorting to increase the amount of recycled plastic.

ExpACT focuses on tackling the health impacts of air pollution, a key factor in the exposome. Moreover, air pollution levels and composition are changing, now and in the future, due to several societal transitions. Therefore, we need new technologies and methods for improved air quality monitoring to make interventions more effective, identify sources of pollution, enforce regulations, and involve the community. ExpACT involves collaboration among scientists, businesses, government bodies, and the public to co-create and use these technologies. ExpACTs approach is to make these methods and data widely accessible for making informed decisions on air quality, contributing to healthier societies.