Abstract
In many situations or applications, it is essential to evaluate the air quality in relation to human health. For that reason, a monitoring system has been designed with the objective of accurately measuring temporal trends in the air mixture that we breathe. Parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, several inorganic gases (CO2, O3, SO2, CO), the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) and the concentration of particulate matter need to be measured simultaneously in order to achieve an operational sensing node. With current technology, it is possible to use open-source hardware and software to create a low-cost monitoring system. At present, the development and selection of the hardware, software platforms and the sensors associated with these applications, constitute a scientific and technological interest. The possibility of creating compact, economically accessible systems, based on open-source hardware and software, increases the possibility to perform such analyses at a larger scale and by simple citizens. The proposed system is a prototype in the initial phase, so only the operational capabilities of the system were evaluated during periods of time of 24 and 72 hours of continuous operation, the response of the sensors to step-type inputs and the measurement of background concentrations in urban interior environments.
Highlights
Several species in air, as well as products derived from them by chemical reactions are responsible for mild problems such as irritation, inflammation and allergic reactions while in other situation the effect on the human body is much worse such as inflammation of the respiratory tract, as well as cancer [1].knowing the quality of the air that is breathed is a topic that is investigated by various institutions and organizations at global, national and even local level [2]
Important markers that give an insight in air quality can be classified in 3 categories: (1) inorganic gases such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3) or nitrogen dioxide (NO2), (2) organic gases such as the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), or specific products such as benzene, and (3) particulate matter (PM) such as all particles smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) or all particles smaller than 10 μm (PM10)
The standards consider the concentration of the pollutants, the time that people are exposed to the pollutions and the impact that the pollution has on our health [3]
Summary
As well as products derived from them by chemical reactions are responsible for mild problems such as irritation, inflammation and allergic reactions while in other situation the effect on the human body is much worse such as inflammation of the respiratory tract, as well as cancer [1].knowing the quality of the air that is breathed is a topic that is investigated by various institutions and organizations at global, national and even local level [2]. Examples of leading organizations dealing with human health related air quality are the World Health Organization (WHO), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA). Important markers that give an insight in air quality can be classified in 3 categories: (1) inorganic gases such as sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3) or nitrogen dioxide (NO2), (2) organic gases such as the total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), or specific products such as benzene, and (3) particulate matter (PM) such as all particles smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) or all particles smaller than 10 μm (PM10). A large number of air quality standards developed by the aforementioned institutions estimate the air quality by combining information of inorganic pollutant gases (SO2, CO, O3, NO2) and particulate matter (PM2.5 and/or PM10) [2]. It should be emphasized that a community can exists of groups of persons with a different sensitivity toward pollution (e.g., people who suffer from asthma, elderly)
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