Students following environmental science courses at the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology Institute of Applied Science will be making use of 11 new, highly-equipped laboratories, including one of the most advanced air quality monitoring systems in Malta.

The air quality monitoring system, located at the heart of the new Mcast campus, will be used by students on environmental sciences courses to acquire hands-on experience in air monitoring techniques. Other students at the institute, including those aspiring for careers in health sciences and laboratory sciences, will also use this equipment either directly, or indirectly by using the data it generates.

Through this system, the institute will be able to assess air quality at the Mcast campus. The institute’s students and lecturers will be regularly monitoring the data generated by the system to identify any problems and propose measures to improve air quality on campus. Students will also be able to compile data about air quality levels in Malta, which they can then use for further research and analysis during their studies.

The system is one of the most advanced tools of its kind in Malta. It measures in real time a range of particulate matter, including harmful pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds.

The equipment cost €128,000, which was co-funded by the EU’s European Regional Development Fund as part of a multi-million project to build the first phase of the new Mcast campus. The project includes the setting up of 11 specialised laboratories, including two environmental laboratories, two chemistry laboratories, two biology laboratories, a physics laboratory, and two instrumentation laboratories.

A total of €1.1 million in tools and advanced scientific equipment have been invested in these laboratories.

www.mcast.edu.mt/ias