MultiPart

MultiPart

Vision and mission

Vision

The vision of the MultiPart project is to create a healthy and fair living environment for communities burdened by the consequences of industrial activity. With an interdisciplinary approach and active community participation, we aim to become a leading example of successful integration of local residents, the scientific community, the economy, and policymakers in addressing environmental and health challenges. Our vision is to build trust, reduce inequality, and improve the quality of life in areas that are heavily burdened by human activity.

Mission

The mission of the MultiPart project is to develop and implement an innovative multi-stakeholder research platform based on collaboration and co-creation of knowledge between scientists and the local community. With a focus on the Anhovega area, which has been affected by past asbestos production and the current cement plant activity, we strive to:

  • Empower the local community with knowledge about environmental and health risks.

  • Use the most modern methods to monitor air quality and assess health risks.

  • Establish dialogue and sustainable cooperation between citizens, industry, medical experts, NGOs, and policymakers.

  • To ensure transparency, inclusion, and social legitimacy in the adoption of environmental decisions.

  • Contribute to environmental justice and improvement of health and well-being indicators for the population.

Our work is based on the principles of participatory science and inclusive research, with a special focus on vulnerable groups. MultiPart is a model that can be used elsewhere where local communities face similar environmental challenges.

Project goals

Main goals

The main goals of the MultiPart project are:

  • Develop and apply a new approach that combines knowledge and experience from various scientific fields (natural sciences, technology, medicine, psychology, and social sciences) to improve the health and well-being of people in environmentally burdened areas.

  • To promote a transition to healthier living environments, ensure environmental justice, and improve the health and well-being of residents in areas with high environmental risk.

Specific goals

  • Establish a platform for participatory research that promotes collaboration among scientists, residents, industry, policymakers, and civil initiatives, and increases social acceptance of measures.
  • To inform and empower local communities about environmental and health risks by developing innovative methods for monitoring air quality.
  • Uvesti nove tehnologije v cementarni Alpacem Cement d.d. za zmanjšanje emisij onesnaževal in podrobno spremljati stanje okolja ter širjenje onesnaževal.
  • Determine biological indicators of exposure and sensitivity using biomonitoring and advanced sensors that track stress and other health indicators.
  • To assess the health and psychological well-being of the community and to determine the impact of environmental factors, lifestyle, and social factors on the health of the population.
  • To create a comprehensive system of big data on the environment, health, and well-being, which enables further analysis and modeling.
  • Conduct a comprehensive environmental and health assessment of the area and prepare recommendations for reducing environmental and health risks.
  • Develop visual tools that will clearly show results to the public and decision-makers, and enable them to make decisions based on reliable data.
  • To disseminate the project results through awareness-raising and educational programs that will be accessible locally, nationally, and internationally.

Methodology

The project is based on a participatory research approach, where all stakeholders – the local community, researchers, industry, and decision-makers – are actively involved in shaping the research process. The key methods are:

  • Establishing a participatory research platform (PRP) to connect science with the community and open discussion on health and environmental issues.
  • Using the most advanced techniques for determining the sources of air pollutants (TC-BC, Positive Matrix Factorization, stable isotopes of light and heavy elements).
  • Non-contact screening approaches using high-resolution mass spectrometry for the analysis of air pollutants and biomarkers.
  • Development of nanotechnology for the production of photonic SiO2 nano-sensors for detecting stress biomarkers and passive samplers based on graphitic carbon nitrides (g-CN).
  • Testing the effectiveness of new technologies for reducing emissions (regenerative thermal oxidation and selective catalytic reduction).
  • Using artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve air pollution and weather forecasting.
  • Expansion of the national biomonitoring program (HBM) to family units and use of modeling (PBBK) to assess indoor exposure.
  • Using agent-based models (ABM) to more accurately assess population exposure.
  • Investigating the impact of environmental stressors on mental and physical well-being, especially in vulnerable groups.
  • Development of an integrated system of large data on environment, health and well-being.
  • Conducting a health impact assessment.
  • Development of interactive tools for data visualization and decision support.