Validation of Low-Cost Sensors in Measuring Real-Time PM10 Concentrations at Two Sites in Delhi National Capital Region.

Ravi Sahu,Ronak Sutaria,Ashutosh Kumar Shukla,Kuldeep Kumar Dixit,Shashi Tiwari,Suneeti Mishra,Purushottam Kumar,Sachchida Nand Tripathi

doi:10.3390/s20051347

Abstract

In the present study, we assessed for the first time the performance of our custom-designed low-cost Particulate Matter (PM) monitoring devices (Atmos) in measuring PM10 concentrations. We examined the ambient PM10 levels during an intense measurement campaign at two sites in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), India. In this study, we validated the un-calibrated Atmos for measuring ambient PM10 concentrations at highly polluted monitoring sites. PM10 concentration from Atmos, containing laser scattering-based Plantower PM sensor, was comparable with that measured from research-grade scanning mobility particle sizers (SMPS) in combination with optical particle sizers (OPS) and aerodynamic particle sizers (APS). The un-calibrated sensors often provided accurate PM10 measurements, particularly in capturing real-time hourly concentrations variations. Quantile–Quantile plots (QQ-plots) for data collected during the selected deployment period showed positively skewed PM10 datasets. Strong Spearman’s rank-order correlations (rs = 0.64–0.83) between the studied instruments indicated the utility of low-cost Plantower PM sensors in measuring PM10 in the real-world context. Additionally, the heat map for weekly datasets demonstrated high R2 values, establishing the efficacy of PM sensor in PM10 measurement in highly polluted environmental conditions.

Highlights

One in eight deaths in India is said to be caused by air pollution, according to a report co-authored by the Indian Council of Medical Research [1]
Both the sites exist in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), which, due to its geographical components and some specific anthropogenic activities, is considered a hotspot for air pollution [32]
particulate matter (PM) sensors exhibited a strong correlation with merged PM10 concentrations from scanning mobility particle sizers (SMPS)–aerodynamic particle sizers (APS) and SMPS–optical particle sizers (OPS)

Summary

Introduction

One in eight deaths in India is said to be caused by air pollution, according to a report co-authored by the Indian Council of Medical Research [1]. As of January 2020, has around 200 citizen-facing Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring. Sensors 2020, 20, 1347 over 4000 cities and towns where real-time air quality monitoring stations are required to be installed. The “affordable” or “low-cost” sensor devices to measure these PMs is a promising technology for increasing the density of the sparse urban PM pollution monitoring network [5,6,7,8]. In developing countries like India, the implementation of such technology becomes a very relevant solution for large-scale deployment of a nationwide air quality monitoring network [9,10,11]. Public and media attention is increasingly conscious of the health and economic expenses of high outdoor PM pollution

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Conclusion