Monitoring IoT-based PM2.5 and CO2 concentrations under a policy of “working from home” in Telkom University, Bandung

Abstract

The pandemic of Covid-19 detected for the first time in early March in Indonesia has been making people stay at home. It affects almost every sector, including higher education. Lecturer, staff, and students have been pushed to work and study from home. There are many approaches from the government, and the ultimate method is a full and partial lockdown. During March to May, with these techniques, it is not only can be temporary slow-down the case but also improved the quality of air. We have two fixed stations at Telkom University (-6.970, 107.629), with an altitude of around 650 and 670 m above sea level, respectively. Those locations were influenced by residential and industrial pollution under not so much open green spaces. Low-cost PM2.5 and CO2 sensors were deployed as well as monitoring meteorological parameters through cheap detectors. The system was equipped by an Internet of Things (IoT)-based modem for data transferring via the internet every 2-min. Results showed that PM2.5 mass concentrations were lower than usual cased in that location. Meanwhile, no significant evidence that the level concentration of CO2 is decreased. The decreasing mobility of people working and studying from home have been making less dirty air. It means that fewer aerosols can be identified in the air. The complex behavior between those polluted air and meteorological conditions have been tried to analyze, but no direct evidence that better air quality makes the outbreak is slowing down.