Grantee Research Project Results

2017 Progress Report: The Hawaii Island Volcanic Smog Sensor Network (HI-Vog): Tracking airquality and community engagement near a major emissions hotspot

EPA Grant Number: R836183
Title: The Hawaii Island Volcanic Smog Sensor Network (HI-Vog): Tracking airquality and community engagement near a major emissions hotspot
Investigators: Kroll, Jesse H. , Heald, Colette L.
Institution: Massachusetts Institute of Technology , The Kohala Center
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: May 1, 2016 through April 30, 2019 (Extended to April 30, 2022)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2017 through April 30,2018
Project Amount: $750,000
RFA: Air Pollution Monitoring for Communities (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Engineering , Environmental Justice , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Air

Objective:

Air quality on the Island of Hawaii ("the Big Island") can be poor due to high emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from Kilauea Volcano. The resulting "volcanic smog" ("vog"), a mixture of SO2 and fine particulate matter (PM), has negative impacts on human health as well as agriculture, and consequently is a major concern of local communities. Because of the high variability of the volcanic plume, community members' exposures to vog cannot be easily estimated. The region thus serves as a unique test case for the use and assessment of distributed air quality (AQ) networks based on portable low-cost sensors. This project entails the development and deployment of a state-of-the-art community-based AQ sensor network across Hawaii Island, for the measurement of SO2 and PM levels with high spatial and temporal resolution. The network aims to provide improved measurements of air quality and vog exposures across the island, as well as to assess the utility of AQ sensor networks as community resources and as tools for atmospheric chemistry research.

Progress Summary:

Work in Year 2 of this project continued our work developing calibration techniques for low-cost air quality sensors, focused on "co-location" (locating sensors alongside higher-quality, regulatory grade monitors for some period of time prior to deployment). A technique for calibrating the SO2 electrochemical sensor was developed and published (in the open-access literature), and similar techniques for calibrating PM sensors are currently under investigation. Sensor nodes, which include not only pollutant measurements but also meteorological parameters, were designed and tested. Additionally, in January 2018 the research team and community partners (from The Kohala Center) participated in a series of presentations and workshops throughout the island, to promote
community engagement in the project, and receive feedback on various aspects of the network. These included three teacher workshops, meetings at four health clinics, and one public talk.

Future Activities:

Work in Year 3 will center on the construction, deployment, and maintenance of the AQ sensor network, An important part of this effort includes ongoing investigations into accurate and efficient calibration approaches, and application of these approaches to keep the individual nodes well calibrated. Additionally, the research team will work closely with local educators, first in a teacher training (September 2018) and then in a one-on-one setting, in order to share information about the sensor technology and data, and help develop curricular materials.

Journal Articles on this Report : 1 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 11 publications	3 publications in selected types	All 3 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Hagan DH, Isaacman-VanWertz G, Franklin JP, Wallace LMM, Kocar BD, Heald CL, Kroll JH. Calibration and assessment of electrochemical air quality sensors by co-location with regulatory-grade instruments. Atmospheric Measurement Technniques 2018;11(1):315-328.	R836183 (2017) R836183 (2018) R836183 (2019) R836183 (2020) R836183 (Final)	Full-text: EGU-Full Text PDF Exit Abstract: EGU-Abstract HTML Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

Volcanic emissions, air pollution, vog, sulfur dioxide, sulfate, particulate matter, low-cost sensors, sensor networks, community engagement, science curriculum

Relevant Websites:

http://kohalacenter.org/research/vog-network Exit Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.