Air quality monitoring in urban environments

Air pollution is both an environmental and a social problem, as it leads to a multitude of adverse effects on human health, ecosystems and the climate. Air pollution is one of the largest environmental health risks in Europe today. Quality of the air in city and urban areas is the most important factor that directly influences the incidence of diseases and decreases the quality of life. Taking appropriate decisions in a timely period depends on the measurement and analysis of the parameters of the air, which creates the need for the development of real time air quality monitoring. The use of multi-parameter air quality monitoring systems makes it possible to do a detailed level analysis of major pollutants and their sources. These monitoring systems are important components in many smart city projects for monitoring air quality and for controlling the main pollutant concentrations in urban areas. In this paper we present an approach for cost-effective measurement of relevant environmental parameters, based on a scalable sensor array with integrated amperometric and infrared gas sensors. The device has been tested in the city and the measurement was compared with the output data of the local environmental control authority stations. The preliminary results show that this approach can be used as an economical alternative to the professional grade systems.

1. Introduction and Motivation

The presence of particulates, biological molecules, or other harmful materials in the Earth's atmosphere causes air pollution, which leads to diseases, human casualties, and damage to other living organisms such as animals and food crops, or to the natural or built environment. Air pollution may originate from anthropogenic or natural sources [1]. Large-scale industry, which is increasingly positioned outside metropolitan regions and urban areas, is not considered to be the primary source for the inferior air quality. Recent studies indicate that road traffic is the main source of urban air pollution. Road transport is responsible on average for 25% of all harmful emissions in Europe. In many EU countries this value is higher than 30%. The loss of environmental quality, together with the environmental impact of air quality, especially in large cities, both on the health and the welfare of people is one of the greatest threats of this century [2], [3]. According to EU official figures, about 225 000 people die from diseases, caused by car emissions in Europe every year. To combat this threat, the European Union has introduced stricter laws and intends to reduce car emissions by 20% by 2020 [4]. Advances in embedded systems and new gas sensors technologies provide an opportunity for a new generation of low-cost air quality monitoring systems to emerge. Low cost air quality sensors are the force that drives the development of emerging electronic technologies, which are increasingly widely accepted and implemented. The number of those commercially available devices has increased dramatically over the last five years although the quality of the data which they provide is still questionable [4]. The main goal of our study is to develop low-cost, mobile, air quality sensor nodes and to investigate whether such systems can provide reliable results and indications about air quality and can be used in practice. This approach should provide easier access to air quality monitoring data to a wider audience of citizens, scientists and control authorities.