Measurements of ultrafine dust in Offenbach reveal minimal load persists
In a significant development for air quality research, the Hessian Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) has been conducting a year-long study on air quality at Weather Park Offenbach, as part of a special program investigating the impact of air traffic on ultrafine particles (UFP) in the Rhine-Main region.
The Weather Park Offenbach was chosen as a measuring station due to its location below the flight path of the airport. The park lies in close proximity to Frankfurt Airport, making it an ideal location to study the effects of air traffic on UFPs.
The current measurement values confirm a trend of a relatively low particle load in Offenbach compared to other locations in the Rhine-Main region. Preliminary results for the year 2024 show an average particle concentration of about 6,000 particles per cubic centimeter (cm³) at Weather Park Offenbach. The World Health Organization (WHO) daily average of 10,000 particles per cm³ was exceeded on only three percent of the measurement days at Weather Park Offenbach.
When the wind is coming from the direction of the airport, the particle concentration at Weather Park Offenbach increases to around 7,000 particles per cm³. However, even with this increase, the particle load at Weather Park Offenbach remains lower than in other locations such as Frankfurt-Schwanheim, where the WHO daily average was exceeded on around 59% of the days, and Raunheim, where the particle load was exceeded on about 37% of the days.
Ultrafine particles, particles less than 100 nm in diameter, can penetrate deep into the respiratory system and, due to their small size, enter systemic circulation causing oxidative stress and inflammation, which are key mechanisms linking UFP inhalation to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Long-term exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5 and smaller, including UFPs) is linked to significant mortality and morbidity, including increased risk of lung and heart diseases.
HLNUG’s continuous measurements at Weather Park Offenbach provide critical localized data to better characterize these exposures, supporting advances toward understanding UFP composition, sources, and transport which influence health impacts over the long term. This improves risk assessment models, potentially leading to more effective local air quality management.
The HLNUG will continue to analyze data from the study to determine the long-term effects of air traffic on the particle load in the Rhine-Main region. The final evaluation and detailed report on the study will be published later this year. The ongoing research in this area is crucial in understanding the long-term effects of UFP exposure on public health, particularly in urban-industrial environments like the Rhine-Main region.
What about the impact of air traffic on health-and-wellness, science, and climate-change in the Rhine-Main region? The study conducted by HLNUG at Weather Park Offenbach shows that ultrafine particles, which can have serious health effects due to their ability to penetrate deep into the respiratory system and cause oxidative stress and inflammation, are linked to significant mortality and morbidity, including increased risk of lung and heart diseases. This research is crucial in understanding the long-term effects of UFP exposure on public health, particularly in urban-industrial environments like the Rhine-Main region, and supports advances in environmental-science towards understanding UFP composition, sources, and transport, which can improve risk assessment models and local air quality management.
