Working Group For Quality Control:
- Branko Sikoparija (Chairperson)
The Working Group for Quality Control (QC WG) of the EAS is responsible for setting standards to ensure representativeness and reproducibility of the methodologies used in routine aerobiological monitoring. In the following four year period, the QC WG will facilitate a European-wide inter-laboratory test with the focus on setting minimum requirements for counting airborne fungal spores. In response to the emergence of new technologies for real-time pollen observations, the QC WG will support activities aiming to integrate classical and automatic measurements.
Working Group For European Legislation :
- Carsten Skoth (Chairperson)
The EAS Working Group for European Legislation follows the evolution of different national legislation on biological air quality and allergies. The working group is in contact with the EFA (European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patient’s Associations) regarding pollen and fungal spore allergies. The EFA and EAS jointly organised an event for the European Parliamentary interest group on “Asthma and allergy” on 5 July 2023 in the context of promoting mandatory monitoring of allergenic pollen and fungal spores.
Working Group For Education Aspects :
- Nicolas Bruffaerts (Chairperson)
The EAS Working Group for Educational Aspects is responsible for organising the biennial European Course on Aerobiology. This is an interdisciplinary course with the purpose of teaching technicians and students about a range of different topics, including bioaerosol analysis and data use in different applications, such as allergology, modelling, and forecasting, as well as comparison procedures and deepening the fundamentals of monitoring techniques. Participants acquire knowledge about the science and application of aerobiology, techniques used for sample preparation and analysis, as well as expertise in identifying pollen and fungal spores using light microscopy.
The WG also participates in the organisation and management of the Advanced Aerobiology Courses established by the International Association for Aerobiology. These courses deal with more specialised aspects of aerobiology and are aimed at those who already have technical knowledge of aerobiology. Finally, the WG supports the publication of teaching material used in aerobiology courses.
Working Group For the European Symposium :
- Helena Ribeiro (Chairperson)
The Working Group for the European Symposium of the EAS focuses on the organisation of the next European Symposium for Aerobiology (ESA), which are held every 4 years. The last ESA took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July 2024, with the next to be hosted in Porto, Portugal, in 2028.
The specifications for organising the European Symposium on Aerobiology can be found in this document: ESA-specifications
Interested people, associations or societies are welcome to join us! Be at the forefront of the development of aerobiology in Europe. We count on all of your participation! To become a member of the EAS, please click on the following link: EAS membership
For any update about working groups, EAS members can have a look at the minutes of the EAS board meetings on the intranet page.