Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative
Biomass burning smoke is often a significant source of airborne fine particles in regional areas where air quality monitoring is scarce. Emerging sensor technology provides opportunities to monitor air quality on a much larger geographical scale with much finer spatial resolution. It can also engage...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/21/7206 |
| _version_ | 1797511825293574144 |
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| author | Fabienne Reisen Jacinta Cooper Jennifer C. Powell Christopher Roulston Amanda J. Wheeler |
| author_facet | Fabienne Reisen Jacinta Cooper Jennifer C. Powell Christopher Roulston Amanda J. Wheeler |
| author_sort | Fabienne Reisen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Biomass burning smoke is often a significant source of airborne fine particles in regional areas where air quality monitoring is scarce. Emerging sensor technology provides opportunities to monitor air quality on a much larger geographical scale with much finer spatial resolution. It can also engage communities in the conversation around local pollution sources. The SMoke Observation Gadget (SMOG), a unit with a Plantower dust sensor PMS3003, was designed as part of a school-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project looking at smoke impacts in regional areas of Victoria, Australia. A smoke-specific calibration curve between the SMOG units and a standard regulatory instrument was developed using an hourly data set collected during a peat fire. The calibration curve was applied to the SMOG units during all field-based validation measurements at several locations and during different seasons. The results showed strong associations between individual SMOG units for PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.93–0.99) and good accuracy (mean absolute error (MAE) < 2 μg m<sup>−3</sup>). Correlations of the SMOG units to reference instruments also demonstrated strong associations (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.87–95) and good accuracy (MAE of 2.5–3.0 μg m<sup>−3</sup>). The PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations tracked by the SMOG units had a similar response time as those measured by collocated reference instruments. Overall, the study has shown that the SMOG units provide relevant information about ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations in an airshed impacted predominantly by biomass burning, provided that an adequate adjustment factor is applied. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:52:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fd7f568bb67d4c3fb62a46201746e8f1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:52:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-fd7f568bb67d4c3fb62a46201746e8f12023-11-22T21:38:07ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202021-10-012121720610.3390/s21217206Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational InitiativeFabienne Reisen0Jacinta Cooper1Jennifer C. Powell2Christopher Roulston3Amanda J. Wheeler4CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Private Bag 1, Aspendale, VIC 3195, AustraliaCSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Private Bag 1, Aspendale, VIC 3195, AustraliaCSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Private Bag 1, Aspendale, VIC 3195, AustraliaCSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Private Bag 1, Aspendale, VIC 3195, AustraliaMary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, AustraliaBiomass burning smoke is often a significant source of airborne fine particles in regional areas where air quality monitoring is scarce. Emerging sensor technology provides opportunities to monitor air quality on a much larger geographical scale with much finer spatial resolution. It can also engage communities in the conversation around local pollution sources. The SMoke Observation Gadget (SMOG), a unit with a Plantower dust sensor PMS3003, was designed as part of a school-based Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project looking at smoke impacts in regional areas of Victoria, Australia. A smoke-specific calibration curve between the SMOG units and a standard regulatory instrument was developed using an hourly data set collected during a peat fire. The calibration curve was applied to the SMOG units during all field-based validation measurements at several locations and during different seasons. The results showed strong associations between individual SMOG units for PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.93–0.99) and good accuracy (mean absolute error (MAE) < 2 μg m<sup>−3</sup>). Correlations of the SMOG units to reference instruments also demonstrated strong associations (r<sup>2</sup> = 0.87–95) and good accuracy (MAE of 2.5–3.0 μg m<sup>−3</sup>). The PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations tracked by the SMOG units had a similar response time as those measured by collocated reference instruments. Overall, the study has shown that the SMOG units provide relevant information about ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentrations in an airshed impacted predominantly by biomass burning, provided that an adequate adjustment factor is applied.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/21/7206particulate mattervalidationsmokesensorsSTEMair quality |
| spellingShingle | Fabienne Reisen Jacinta Cooper Jennifer C. Powell Christopher Roulston Amanda J. Wheeler Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative Sensors particulate matter validation smoke sensors STEM air quality |
| title | Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative |
| title_full | Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative |
| title_fullStr | Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative |
| title_full_unstemmed | Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative |
| title_short | Performance and Deployment of Low-Cost Particle Sensor Units to Monitor Biomass Burning Events and Their Application in an Educational Initiative |
| title_sort | performance and deployment of low cost particle sensor units to monitor biomass burning events and their application in an educational initiative |
| topic | particulate matter validation smoke sensors STEM air quality |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/21/7206 |
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