By Natacha Gondran, researcher at Mines Saint-Étienne, and Aurélien Boutaud. The original version of this article (in French) was published in The Conversation. It has become an annual summer tradition, much like France’s Music Festival or the Tour de France. Every August, right when French people are focused on enjoying their vacation, an alarming story begins to spread through the …

Despite only being present in very small quantities, trace gases leave their mark on the atmospheric composition. Since they are reactive, they may lead to the formation of secondary compounds such as ozone or aerosols that have a significant impact on health and the climate. IMT Lille Douai is a partner in the ACTRIS H2020 project, which aims to carry …

Pollution in urban areas is a major public health issue. While peaks in the concentration of fine particles often make the news, they are not the only urban pollutants. Volatile organic compounds, or VOC, also present a hazard. Some are carcinogenic, while others react in the atmosphere, contributing to the formation of secondary pollutants such as ozone or secondary aerosols—which …

In the near future, watermarking data could be the best traceability technique in the healthcare domain. It involves hidding information into medical images with the aim at reinforcing data security for patients and healthcare professionals. After being developed for nearly ten years in the laboratories of IMT Atlantique and Medecom, watermarking has now reached a level of maturity that allows …

Fabrice Flipo, Télécom École de Management – Institut Mines-Télécom The climate is warming and changing: we must act. On the French version of the website The Conversation, climate change specialist Christian de Perthuis recently applauded the introduction of the carbon tax in France in 2014 and its gradual increase. Referring to the “Quinet value” (around 90 euros), the author suggests …

What is an offensive environmental odor? How can it be defined, and how should its consequences be managed? This is what students will learn in the serious game “Les ECSPER à Smellville”, part of the Air Quality MOOC. This educational tool was developed at IMT Lille Douai, and will be available in 2018. Players will be faced with the problem …

During peak pollution events, everyone is talking about them. Fine particles are often accused of being toxic. Unfortunately, they do not only come out during episodes of high pollution. Véronique Riffault, a researcher in atmospheric sciences at IMT Lille Douai, revisits the basics of fine particles to better understand what they are all about.   What does a fine particle …

5G will inevitably involve opening new frequency bands allowing operators to increase their data flows. Millimeter waves are among the favorites, as they have many advantages: large bandwidth, adequate range, and small antennas. Whether or not they are opened will depend on whether they live up to expectations. The European project H2020 TWEETHER is trying to demonstrate precisely this point. …

René Garello, IMT Atlantique – Institut Mines-Télécom The French National Centre for Space Research has recently presented two projects based on greenhouse gas emission monitoring (CO2 and methane) using satellite sensors. The satellites, which are to be launched after 2020, will supplement measures carried out in situ. On a global scale, this is not the first such program to measure climate …

Véronique Riffault, IMT Lille Douai – Institut Mines-Télécom and François Mathé, IMT Lille Douai – Institut Mines-Télécom The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) released a new notice concerning air pollution yesterday. After having been questioned on the potential changes to norms for ambient air quality, particularly concerning fine particles (PM10 and PM2.5), the organization has …