Nicosia: The first global dataset of ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations has been produced by researchers at The Cyprus Institute. The study’s findings reveal major differences in UFP concentrations between clean natural environments and urban areas, offering an important new tool for understanding how ultrafine pollution affects public health worldwide.
According to Cyprus News Agency, a press release by the Institute notes that a new EU Air Quality Directive, expected to be implemented starting 2026, requires member states to monitor UFP in ambient air. These results will inform decisions regarding the introduction of future limits in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, even though there are currently no specific concentration limits set for UFPs.
It is also noted that these tiny particles are invisible to the human eye but can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing a significant threat to human health. Air pollutants with diameters less than 10 µm (PM10) and 2.5 µm (PM2.5) have long been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Growing evidence suggests that ultrafine particles (UFPs), which are significantly smaller with a diameter of less than 0.01 µm, are also a major health risk due to their ability to reach critical organs such as the lungs and the bloodstream. Despite this, global data on UFP levels has been extremely limited.
To address this gap, researchers of the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) and the Computation-based Science and Technology Research Centre (CaSToRC) of The Cyprus Institute have developed a machine learning model using real, ground-station measurements. The model generates high-resolution global UFP maps at high spatial resolution (1 km) spanning the 2010-2019 decade, accurately reflecting large-scale spatial patterns of ultrafine pollution.
The results, published in Nature’s Scientific Data journal, show that pristine environments, such as forested and unpopulated regions, often contain only a few thousand particles per cubic centimetre, whereas major cities routinely exceed 40,000, with ultrafine particles accounting for roughly 91% of all airborne particles by number.
“This new global dataset enables scientists, governments, and public-health organisations to identify pollution hotspots, assess health impacts, and design targeted interventions,” Dr Pantelis Georgiades, lead author of the study, stated.