Viability of a Dense, Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensor Network

Abstract

A technological revolution in recent years has allowed for the vast development of low-cost, commercially available air quality sensors. The affordability of such devices allows researchers, institutions, and private entities alike to create sensor networks in their local regions to monitor various pollutants. Many of these networks are on the city-scale, but only a few, if any, have focused on a more concentrated network. This research focuses on the utility of such a network on a university campus scale by analyzing measurements made from 15 sensors over a period of 9 months. Initial results indicate that while the network provides a wealth of data, variation amongst the sensor readings is low especially when considering daily averages in a cleaner environment like Austin, TX. Our work suggests that low-cost sensor networks in cleaner environments are better suited in networks that span larger geographical areas and data collected from them used to understand hourly or diurnal trends.