Ukrainian scientists install new air quality monitoring devices in Antarctica and World Ocean
Ukrainian scientists have installed additional air quality monitoring instruments at the Akademik Vernadsky Station and aboard the Noosfera research icebreaker.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported on Facebook by the National Antarctic Scientific Center.
“Antarctica typically has the cleanest air on the planet, with very low levels of pollution. However, it is important to monitor the transport of pollutants from other continents,” the post reads.
In 2024, the first air quality analyzer from the IQAir network was installed at Vernadsky Station. It measures the concentration of airborne particulate matter of various sizes.
In 2026, to calibrate the first device, the manufacturer provided the station with a second identical analyzer.
This will help avoid possible technical errors in measurements, as the Ukrainian station is currently the only place in the Antarctic region where such studies are conducted.
The device was installed by ozone specialist Serhii Yakushchenko of the 31st expedition and meteorologist Oleksandr Nadtochii of the seasonal team.
Research has shown that pollution levels near the station are usually close to zero, meaning the air there is indeed among the cleanest in the world.
At the same time, the amount of aerosols in Antarctica’s atmosphere can vary depending on natural factors (such as volcanic eruptions and storms), anthropogenic influences, and climatic conditions (humidity and wind).
A significant concentration of aerosols in the stratosphere contributes to chemical reactions that destroy the ozone layer.
This season, an air quality analyzer was also installed aboard the Noosfera icebreaker.
In addition, an AirGradient device was installed there, which measures PM2.5 particle pollution, as well as CO₂, NOx, VOC levels, relative humidity, and temperature.
According to the head of the research, Hennadii Milinevskyi, “these instruments measure aerosols over the ocean – where there are the fewest permanent monitoring stations.”
“As a result, we lack sufficient data to build global models of aerosol pollution, which affects climate and weather. Therefore, measuring aerosols aboard a vessel that travels across the oceans is important for expanding this data,” the scientist added.
The National Antarctic Scientific Center thanked IQAir and its official representative in Ukraine, the Ecozen project, for supporting the research.
Thanks to this support, Ukrainian scientists will continue monitoring air quality – something that directly affects the quality of life of all living beings on the planet.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, a Ukrainian Antarctic expedition encountered several pairs of humpback whales while at sea.
Photo: National Antarctic Scientific Center