The 26th meeting of the Task Force on Measurements and Modelling (TFMM) and the annual meeting of the Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution (TF HTAP) under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution were held back-to-back in Potsdam, Germany, from 5 to 9 May 2025. Representatives of the Meteorological Synthesizing Centre – East (MSC-E) participated in both meetings, presenting progress in ongoing activities of the Centre and contributing to discussions on current research topics and future plans.
The main topics of the latest TFMM meeting included updates on EMEP Centre activities, synergies with the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2024/2881), discussions on the measurement and modelling of the chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter, preliminary results of a multi-model study on ozone and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and various aspects of long-range transport of air pollution.
MSC-E presented at TFMM an overview of its ongoing research and model development activities, with a focus on studies of heavy metal wind re-suspension, mercury atmospheric chemistry and air–surface exchange processes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution, including a country-scale pilot study for Slovenia and the Western Balkan countries, and multimedia modelling of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). Additionally, representatives of the Centre shared details of studies on the model evaluation of wind-blown mineral dust and its impact on heavy metal pollution in Europe, as well as source apportionment of PAH pollution in selected EMEP countries based on model simulations and moss measurements.
The recent TF HTAP meeting centered on reviewing progress and planning activities for three ongoing research projects: OPNS – simulations of ozone, particles, and the deposition of nitrogen and sulphur in support of the revision of the CLRTAP Gothenburg Protocol; FIRES – multi-pollutant simulations of wildfire impact on air quality; MCHgMAP – simulations of mercury trends and source attribution.
MSC-E was responsible for organising the meeting session on the Multi-Compartment Mercury Modelling and Analysis Project (MCHgMAP). The project aims to support the effectiveness evaluation of both the Air Convention and the Minamata Convention on Mercury through multi-model assessment and attribution of geospatial variation and temporal trends in mercury pollution. It includes atmospheric, oceanic, terrestrial, and mass balance models for simulating mercury dispersion across multiple compartments, and it fosters integration among emission, monitoring, and modelling communities to improve data collection and simulation processes. During the session, a representative of MSC-E presented an overview of the project design and modelling experiments, along with preliminary results of atmospheric simulations. Additionally, the Centre shared a recent study on trend and uncertainty analysis for simulated and observed reactive mercury concentrations.
MSC-E also contributed to discussions on the FIRES project, which aims to evaluate the impact of wildfires and biomass burning on environmental pollution by mercury and selected POPs (PAHs and PCDD/Fs). During the session, participants reviewed available modelling capabilities, as well as the emissions and measurement data required for multi-model simulations. Practical steps for initiating project activities were also discussed. The Centre expressed its interest in and availability for participation in the project.
Finally, a joint session of TFMM and TF HTAP was dedicated to a new initiative launched under TF HTAP focusing on model assessment of global environmental contamination by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The initial discussion covered the current understanding of PFAS-related processes, available data, and modelling capabilities, including a newly developed emissions database and recent experiences with regional and global model simulations. This topic seems very promising for the Centre’s future involvement, despite limited current knowledge of PFAS processes and the early development of modelling approaches.
