Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters
Air quality monitoring in cities is significant for both human health and environment. Here, an innovative miniaturized active air sampler wearable by free-flying birds is presented. The device integrates a GPS logger and atmospheric calibrated sensors allowing for high spatiotemporal resolution mea...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/19/4876 |
| _version_ | 1827653258514006016 |
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| author | Annalisa Di Bernardino Valeria Jennings Giacomo Dell’Omo |
| author_facet | Annalisa Di Bernardino Valeria Jennings Giacomo Dell’Omo |
| author_sort | Annalisa Di Bernardino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Air quality monitoring in cities is significant for both human health and environment. Here, an innovative miniaturized active air sampler wearable by free-flying birds is presented. The device integrates a GPS logger and atmospheric calibrated sensors allowing for high spatiotemporal resolution measurements of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentration, barometric pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity. A field campaign, carried out from January to June 2021, involved the repeated release of homing pigeons (<i>Columba livia</i>) from downtown Rome (Italy), to sample the air on their way back to the loft, located in a rural area out of the city. The measurements suggest the importance of green urban areas in decreasing CO<sub>2</sub> levels. Moreover, a positive relation between CO<sub>2</sub> levels, relative humidity, and air temperature was revealed. In contrast, a negative relation with distance from the point of release, month, and time of day was found. Flight speed and the altitude of flight were related to rising CO<sub>2</sub> levels. The easy use of such devices paves the way for the application of miniaturized air samplers to other synanthropic species (i.e., gulls), making birds convenient biomonitors for the urban environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:14:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e6a20c2a4d99400792785f299bc1f4c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T21:14:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-e6a20c2a4d99400792785f299bc1f4c02023-11-23T21:40:09ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-09-011419487610.3390/rs14194876Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical ParametersAnnalisa Di Bernardino0Valeria Jennings1Giacomo Dell’Omo2Department of Physics, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, ItalyOrnis Italica, 00199 Rome, ItalyOrnis Italica, 00199 Rome, ItalyAir quality monitoring in cities is significant for both human health and environment. Here, an innovative miniaturized active air sampler wearable by free-flying birds is presented. The device integrates a GPS logger and atmospheric calibrated sensors allowing for high spatiotemporal resolution measurements of carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) concentration, barometric pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity. A field campaign, carried out from January to June 2021, involved the repeated release of homing pigeons (<i>Columba livia</i>) from downtown Rome (Italy), to sample the air on their way back to the loft, located in a rural area out of the city. The measurements suggest the importance of green urban areas in decreasing CO<sub>2</sub> levels. Moreover, a positive relation between CO<sub>2</sub> levels, relative humidity, and air temperature was revealed. In contrast, a negative relation with distance from the point of release, month, and time of day was found. Flight speed and the altitude of flight were related to rising CO<sub>2</sub> levels. The easy use of such devices paves the way for the application of miniaturized air samplers to other synanthropic species (i.e., gulls), making birds convenient biomonitors for the urban environment.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/19/4876urban pollutionair qualityatmospheric monitoringurban boundary layeractive air samplercarbon dioxide concentration |
| spellingShingle | Annalisa Di Bernardino Valeria Jennings Giacomo Dell’Omo Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters Remote Sensing urban pollution air quality atmospheric monitoring urban boundary layer active air sampler carbon dioxide concentration |
| title | Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters |
| title_full | Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters |
| title_fullStr | Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters |
| title_short | Bird-Borne Samplers for Monitoring CO<sub>2</sub> and Atmospheric Physical Parameters |
| title_sort | bird borne samplers for monitoring co sub 2 sub and atmospheric physical parameters |
| topic | urban pollution air quality atmospheric monitoring urban boundary layer active air sampler carbon dioxide concentration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/19/4876 |
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