Utility of a Low-Cost, Dense Sensor Network for the Study of Air Quality Impact Upon Human Health in Urban and Rural Areas.

Abstract

The chemical composition of air changes from moment to moment. While the atmosphere may appear clear and cloudless to the human eye, gases, aerosols, and particulates are in constant interaction with Earth's surface under the influence of meteorological conditions. The recent emergence of low-cost, dense environmental air quality monitoring networks suggests growing interest in highly granular temporospatial exposure assessments by scientists and citizens. This chapter describes the utility of leveraging partnerships and resources to collocate a dense network of low-cost air quality sensors with meteorological sensors across a predominantly rural state located in the southeastern U.S. Construction of the network will improve knowledge on the daily, diurnal, and seasonal variations of pollutant exposures in rural and urban areas, the public health impact of extreme climatological and atmospheric events, and socioeconomic factors that heighten risk of exposures and health outcomes.