Airmon 2002, The Fourth International Symposium on Modern Principles of Air Monitoring

In continuation of the Airmon symposia,^1–3 the fourth meeting in this series was held in Norway, February 3–7, 2002, at Hafjell 15 km north of Lillehammer where the slalom events were arranged during the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994. The symposium was as previously, organized by the National Institute for Working Life, Umeå, Sweden and the National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway.

As for past meetings the organizers offered a meeting format of 4½ days with early morning and late afternoon/evening sessions allowing the 95 participants to enjoy the alpine and cross-country facilities located next to the conference venue (Quality Hafjell Hotel) during the extended lunch breaks.

In recognition of the continuing need for improving air monitoring strategies and methodologies, 25 speakers were invited to address recent developments in air exposure assessment—strategies and methodologies, aerosols (included bio-aerosols), gases, vapours, mixed phases, indoor and ambient air as well as international standardization and quality assurance. Twenty-eight posters covering similar topics were presented and thoroughly discussed. Of course, not all papers were submitted for publication in this special issue and some that were did not make it through the review process. Nonetheless, twelve papers that, we believe, will be of value to the air monitoring community are presented.

A symposium of this kind with a great proportion of the program as invited contributions is dependent on financial support from commercial companies. We gratefully acknowledge the support from our exhibitors presenting their latest developments of air monitoring equipment. Once again, the administrative and organizational handling of all details were excellently looked after by Margaret Karlsson and Margaret Rhén. Their enthusiastic care for everyone during the meeting is also much appreciated.

Scientists do not always live in their narrow scientific world; a highlight of the symposium was when Professor J. H. Vincent (on the grand piano) and the young Swedish violinist, Ida Martha Rhén expressed their outstanding musical qualities in a 30 minute pot-pourri during the conference dinner.

In order to expand the scope of this series the next Airmon symposium will include biological monitoring. The venue will be the acclaimed Hotel Alexandra in Loen in the glacier heart of Norway, June 2005.

References

1. J. Environ. Monit., 1999, 1(4), 53N, 273––394.
2. The Analyst, 1996, 121(9), 1151––1304.
3. The Analyst, 1994, 119(1), 1––107.

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