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Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Tools: From Research to Practice (A Workshop Summary)
Citation:
Clements, A., W. Griswold, A. RS, J. Johnston, M. Herting, J. Thorson, A. Collier-Oxandale, AND M. Hannigan. Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Tools: From Research to Practice (A Workshop Summary). Sensors. MDPI, Basel, Switzerland, 17(11):2478, (2017). https://doi.org/10.3390/s17112478
Impact/Purpose:
In the United States, air quality has traditionally been measured according to a metric established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) using equipment that implement a federal reference method (FRM) or federal equivalent method (FEM). These devices cost tens of thousands of dollars and require significant infrastructure and trained personnel to operate [1]. Within the last ten years, miniaturization and other technological advances have brought to market a number of low-cost (<$2,500) sensors designed to measure atmospheric particles and gasses.air p Although sensors cannot replace traditional FRM/FEM monitors, these sensors have created new opportunities for broadening access to ambient air quality monitoring for applications such as personal health and sub-regional air quality assessment [2, 3].
Description:
In May 2017, a two-day workshop was held in Los Angeles (California, U.S.A.) to gather practitioners who work with low-cost sensors used to make air quality measurements. The community of practice included individuals from academia, industry, non-profit groups, community-based organizations, and regulatory agencies. The group gathered to share knowledge developed from a variety of pilot projects in hopes of advancing the collective knowledge about how best to use low-cost air quality sensors. Panel discussion topics included: (1) best practices for deployment and calibration of low-cost sensor systems, (2) data standardization efforts and database design, (3) advances in sensor calibration, data management, and data analysis and visualization, and (4) lessons learned from research/community partnerships to encourage purposeful use of sensors and create change/action. Panel discussions summarized knowledge advances and project successes while also highlighting the questions, unresolved issues, and technological limitations that still remain within the low-cost air quality sensor arena.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Tools: From Research to Practice (A Workshop Summary)
Free access through PubMed Central