The Italian Space Agency and NASA are collaborating in the construction and launch of the MAIA mission (Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols) aimed at studying the health impacts of smog.
It’s about the first NASA mission whose main goal is to contribute to the improvement of health Humanand the first time when epidemiologists and public health researchers they were directly involved in the development of a satellite mission.
Smog, pollution causes thousands of victims every year: Italy is among the 70 countries that breathe the worst air
Smog is a sensitive topic for Italy: in particular, the Pianura Padana is in fact one of the most polluted areas in Europe. Here PM10 and PM2.5 particles are often beyond the limit threshold identified by the WHO. PM10 is composed of particles with a diameter equal to or less than 10 micrometers, PM2.5 instead of those smaller than 2.5 micrometers.
PM10 particles are dangerous because if inhaled they can cause tissue damage and inflammation of the nose, throat and lungs. But the most dangerous are PM2.5 particles because, being even smaller, they manage to penetrate even deeper into the lungs and be absorbed into the bloodstream, where they can cause more serious health problems.
NASA and the Italian Space Agency together in the MAIA mission to study air pollution and the impact of smog on health
The MAIA mission will analyze the tiny particles suspended in the air, the smog that pollutes some of the world’s most populous cities. The results will then be examined also taking into account the health status of the communities involved. Aerosols, i.e. the tiny particles in suspension, are in fact an impact on human health. For this reason, birth, death and hospitalization records will be examined: the goal is to give as many answers as possible regarding the health impacts of solid and liquid particles that contaminate the air we breathe.
Aerosols are linked to some respiratory diseases such asasmabut also the cancer lung, cardiovascular disease such as stroke from strokeand repercussions on reproducibility and the birthincluding preterm delivery and low birth weight of newborns.
The satellite and the instruments put in place by ASI and NASA, thanks to the measurements of the sunlight reflected by the aerosol particles from the satellite moving at a height of 740 kilometers, will be able to determine the quantity, size and properties optics of some air pollutants. This will help scientists understand its nature and effect on the health of the communities most affected.
Indeed, the MAIA mission will analyze the tiny particles suspended in the air, the smog that pollutes some of the most populous cities in the world. Initially MAIA will analyze the air of 11 large urban centresamong which Roma, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Barcelona, Beijing, New Delhi, Taipei and Tel Aviv.
The results will then be examined also taking into account the health status of the communities involved. Aerosols, i.e. the tiny particles in suspension, are in fact an impact on human health. For this reason, birth, death and hospitalization records will be examined: the goal is to give as many answers as possible regarding the health impacts of solid and liquid particles that contaminate the air we breathe.
Aerosols are linked to some respiratory diseases such asasmabut also the cancer lung, cardiovascular disease such as stroke from strokeand repercussions on reproducibility and the birthincluding preterm delivery and low birth weight of newborns.
NASA and the Italian Space Agency will launch the MAIA observatory by the end of 2024, which will make use of the satellite PLATINUM-2 provided by ASI e Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA.
“Breathing air pollution particles has been associated with many health problems, but the toxicity of different mixtures of particles has so far not been understood as well,” said David Diner, NASA principal investigator for MAIA. “Working together with colleagues in Italy and around the world, we expect MAIA to help us understand how airborne particle pollution puts our health at risk and to provide new details to inform public health decision makers and policy makers“.
