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Observed Data Quality Concerns Involving Low-Cost Air Sensors
Citation:
Clements, A., S. Reece, T. Conner, AND R. Williams. Observed Data Quality Concerns Involving Low-Cost Air Sensors. Atmospheric Environment: X. Elsevier B.V., Amsterdam, Netherlands, 3:100034, (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aeaoa.2019.100034
Impact/Purpose:
Low cost sensors are being widely deployed world-wide for exposure assessment. Our research indicates often unforeseen data quality issues with many of these devices. Careful examination of the data must be conducted if they are to be successfully used for environmental research.
Description:
Increased availability of commercially-available low cost air quality sensors combined with increased interest in their use by citizen scientists, community groups, and professionals has resulted in a flood of journal articles summarizing their use. Even so, the US EPA's SPEAR research program has often been able to detect and define key data quality issues often not being reported by manufacturers or end users. This short communication provides examples of hidden data quality issues associated with a popular particulate matter sensor and a widely distributed tVOC sensor. Careful examination of the data reveals data quality concerns not readily apparent by a casual review of the raw data. We encourage end users of low cost sensor technology to thoroughly examine data quality issues as part of their research efforts.
