Grantee Research Project Results
Using stationary and mobile low-cost sensors to assess air quality
EPA Grant Number: SU840407Title: Using stationary and mobile low-cost sensors to assess air quality
Investigators: El-Sayed, Marwa , Compere, Marc , Adkins, Kevin
Current Investigators: El-Sayed, Marwa , Compere, Marc , Adkins, Kevin , Akbas, Ilhan , Smith, Leah , Munevar, Andres , Leibergell, Erik , Nails, Kaleb , Copenhaver, Jeremy , Davenport, James , Altrogge, Logan
Institution: Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University
EPA Project Officer: Harper, Jacquelyn
Phase: I
Project Period: July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023 (Extended to June 30, 2025)
Project Amount: $25,000
RFA: 18th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Challenge Area - Air Quality , P3 Awards
Description:
Atmospheric pollution is responsible for killing more than seven million people around the globe, according to the World Health Organization. Among the pollutants that contribute to air pollution, aerosols, defined as any liquid or solid PM suspended or dispersed in the atmosphere, is a significant contributor to human morbidity and mortality. Current attempts to measure atmospheric PM are not only cumbersome and costly but also lack high spatiotemporal resolution. Recently, LCSs have been used to address these economic, practical, and technological shortcomings. This proposal aims at using LCSs in diverse environments and across different seasons in order to address the existing infrastructure’s spatial and temporal limitations. Herein, we propose placing commercial LCSs in three different operational modes in order to characterize the horizontal and vertical profiles of atmospheric PM. These modes vary in the dimensions that they sample: (1) stationary 1D collocated with a PM monitor based on the federal equivalent method at a suburban site, (2) mobile on a manned vehicle 2D touring the ERAU campus, and (3) mobile on unmanned vehicle 3D flying at urban, suburban, and rural sites. Students from all departments included herein will aid in the integration, testing, and implementation of the commercially used sensors. Three different commercial LCSs will be used in this effort, relying on light scattering techniques or optical particle counters. Validation will take place by: (1) collocating LCSs with EPA monitoring stations, (2) comparing data to several other PM measurement devices, and (3) mounting a PM measurement device to a tethered balloon.
Objective:
The goal of this proposal is to (1) improve the accessibility of air quality sensors, (2) increase the number of air quality observations, and (3) increase the spatial resolution of air quality sensors using low-cost sensors (LCSs). Particulate matter (PM) has been recognized as a detrimental pollutant in the atmosphere causing several adverse impacts on human health as well as on the environment. In the United States, similar to many other countries, concentrations of PM are monitored and enforced by regulations based on the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). However, measuring atmospheric PM using the existing infrastructure is designed to measure PM pollution on urban/regional-scales. Nonetheless, these conventional monitoring technologies are limited in capturing the spatial and temporal variations in atmospheric PM concentrations at fine scales. Additionally, observations from these technologies possess inherent limitations due to relatively high cost and size. Hence, these constraints bring about the need for more sustainable methods to monitor air pollution in order to devise preventive and/or corrective measures to protect the environment in highly polluted urban - where monitoring is not spatially sufficient- as well as remote areas - where monitoring is often underestimated. This project is designed to characterize and compare the performance of three different commercially available PM LCSs. The innovative aspect of this proposed design is our ability to measure horizontal and vertical profiles of PM in the atmosphere using three different multi-dimensional modes of operation: (1) stationary (1D), (2) mobile on manned vehicles (2D), and (3) mobile on an unmanned aerial vehicles (3D). This study has the potential to produce viable systems to be used by public, and systems to be implemented in manned and unmanned vehicles. As a renowned aeronautical university, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) has extensive experience with manned and unmanned vehicles, and more recently, the university has been giving special attention to research in air quality and sustainability as part of its strategic plan.
Expected Results:
Our expected output is an LCS setup that allows for monitoring atmospheric particle pollutants. This low-cost capability will be exercised to output initial research results focused on high-resolution spatial and temporal concentrations of atmospheric PM. This will be established by comparing three LCSs at different locations, namely urban, suburban, and rural areas, at different diurnal and seasonal variations. Our goal is to compare the sensors and evaluate their performance across varying environmental and meteorological conditions. Following this, our work will involve the implementation of these sensors in both stationary and mobile modes of operation thus allowing the generation of horizontal and vertical profiles of pollutants. Development of these sensing operational modes will further enable us to devise control measures, resulting in the improvement of the environment and human health.
The proposed work has the potential to improve our ability to analyze causal environmental, social, and economical factors associated with PM pollution. Project outcomes will ultimately improve the environment, as well as human health, by more effectively identifying the need for and impact of mitigation strategies to meet standards imposed by the NAAQS. In addition, new researchers and students will be educated about the Clean Air Act (CAA) and NAAQS. Quantifiable results for measuring success will be obtained from technical and educational standpoints. Technical metrics include ground-level concentrations of PM at stationary and mobile phases, and their concentrations as a function of altitude using the mobile 3D phase. From an educational standpoint, this research will be incorporated into several ERAU courses and will develop a diverse team of Senior Design students in both the Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Aeronautical Science departments.
We propose the use of LCSs to monitor horizontal and vertical profiles of atmospheric particle pollution. This directly supports the EPA CAA and the NAAQS objectives. This work supports the three pillars of sustainability. The ability to monitor particle pollutants using sensors of lightweight and low-cost will improve our spatial and temporal understanding of the formation and transport of pollutants. This would ultimately facilitate devising strategies to improve air quality, thus impacting the Planet dimension of sustainability, and hence improve human health and the People aspect of pollution prevention and control. Further, the use of LCSs promises to produce competitive solutions in an economic manner relevant to the Prosperity aspect of sustainability.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
air pollution measurement methods, engineering, particulates, ambient air (atmosphere).Progress and Final Reports:
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.