Articles | Volume 16, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-169-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-16-169-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Identifying optimal co-location calibration periods for low-cost sensors
University of Connecticut Health Center, Department of Public Health Sciences, UConn School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06032-1941, USA
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205-2103, USA
SEARCH (Solutions for Energy, Air, Climate and Health) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Colby Buehler
SEARCH (Solutions for Energy, Air, Climate and Health) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, P.O. Box 208286, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Abhirup Datta
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205-2103, USA
Drew R. Gentner
SEARCH (Solutions for Energy, Air, Climate and Health) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, P.O. Box 208286, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Kirsten Koehler
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 615 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205-2103, USA
SEARCH (Solutions for Energy, Air, Climate and Health) Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
Related authors
Yun Lin, Yuan Wang, Bowen Pan, Jiaxi Hu, Song Guo, Misti Levy Zamora, Pengfei Tian, Qiong Su, Yuemeng Ji, Jiayun Zhao, Mario Gomez-Hernandez, Min Hu, and Renyi Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 4951–4967, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Severe regional haze events, which are characterized by exceedingly high levels of fine particulate matter (PM), occur frequently in many developing countries (such as China and India), with profound implications for human health, weather, and climate. Our work establishes a synthetic view for the dominant regional features during severe haze events, unraveling rapid in situ PM production and inefficient transport, both of which are amplified by atmospheric stagnation.
Colby Buehler, Fulizi Xiong, Misti Levy Zamora, Kate M. Skog, Joseph Kohrman-Glaser, Stefan Colton, Michael McNamara, Kevin Ryan, Carrie Redlich, Matthew Bartos, Brandon Wong, Branko Kerkez, Kirsten Koehler, and Drew R. Gentner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 995–1013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-995-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-995-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper we develop a stationary and portable low-cost multipollutant monitor capable of measuring a variety of human-health- and climate-related pollutants. While traditional reference instrumentation is sparsely spaced, these monitors can be deployed as a network to gain insight into the spatial and temporal variability within an urban setting, or in other targeted studies. We also implement an online calibration system to address long-term drift of sensors and adjust calibrations.
Sunhye Kim, Jo Machesky, Drew R. Gentner, and Albert A. Presto
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 1281–1298, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1281-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1281-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Cooking emissions are often an overlooked source of air pollution. We used a mobile lab to measure the characteristics of particles emitted from cooking sites in two cities. Our findings showed that cooking releases a substantial number of fine particles. While most emissions were similar, a bakery site showed distinctive chemical compositions with higher nitrogen compound levels. Thus, understanding the particle emissions from different cooking activities is crucial.
Andrew T. Lambe, Bin Bai, Masayuki Takeuchi, Nicole Orwat, Paul M. Zimmerman, Mitchell W. Alton, Nga L. Ng, Andrew Freedman, Megan S. Claflin, Drew R. Gentner, Douglas R. Worsnop, and Pengfei Liu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13869–13882, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13869-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13869-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We developed a new method to generate nitrate radicals (NO3) for atmospheric chemistry applications that works by irradiating mixtures containing ceric ammonium nitrate with a UV light at room temperature. It has several advantages over traditional NO3 sources. We characterized its performance over a range of mixture and reactor conditions as well as other irradiation products. Proof of concept was demonstrated by generating and characterizing oxidation products of the β-pinene + NO3 reaction.
Benjamin N. Murphy, Darrell Sonntag, Karl M. Seltzer, Havala O. T. Pye, Christine Allen, Evan Murray, Claudia Toro, Drew R. Gentner, Cheng Huang, Shantanu Jathar, Li Li, Andrew A. May, and Allen L. Robinson
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13469–13483, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13469-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13469-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We update methods for calculating organic particle and vapor emissions from mobile sources in the USA. Conventionally, particulate matter (PM) and volatile organic carbon (VOC) are speciated without consideration of primary semivolatile emissions. Our methods integrate state-of-the-science speciation profiles and correct for common artifacts when sampling emissions in a laboratory. We quantify impacts of the emission updates on ambient pollution with the Community Multiscale Air Quality model.
Peeyush Khare, Jordan E. Krechmer, Jo E. Machesky, Tori Hass-Mitchell, Cong Cao, Junqi Wang, Francesca Majluf, Felipe Lopez-Hilfiker, Sonja Malek, Will Wang, Karl Seltzer, Havala O. T. Pye, Roisin Commane, Brian C. McDonald, Ricardo Toledo-Crow, John E. Mak, and Drew R. Gentner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 14377–14399, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14377-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-14377-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Ammonium adduct chemical ionization is used to examine the atmospheric abundances of oxygenated volatile organic compounds associated with emissions from volatile chemical products, which are now key contributors of reactive precursors to ozone and secondary organic aerosols in urban areas. The application of this valuable measurement approach in densely populated New York City enables the evaluation of emissions inventories and thus the role these oxygenated compounds play in urban air quality.
Katherine L. Hayden, Shao-Meng Li, John Liggio, Michael J. Wheeler, Jeremy J. B. Wentzell, Amy Leithead, Peter Brickell, Richard L. Mittermeier, Zachary Oldham, Cristian M. Mihele, Ralf M. Staebler, Samar G. Moussa, Andrea Darlington, Mengistu Wolde, Daniel Thompson, Jack Chen, Debora Griffin, Ellen Eckert, Jenna C. Ditto, Megan He, and Drew R. Gentner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 12493–12523, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12493-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12493-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, airborne measurements provided the most detailed characterization, to date, of boreal forest wildfire emissions. Measurements showed a large diversity of air pollutants expanding the volatility range typically reported. A large portion of organic species was unidentified, likely comprised of complex organic compounds. Aircraft-derived emissions improve wildfire chemical speciation and can support reliable model predictions of pollution from boreal forest wildfires.
Yun Lin, Yuan Wang, Bowen Pan, Jiaxi Hu, Song Guo, Misti Levy Zamora, Pengfei Tian, Qiong Su, Yuemeng Ji, Jiayun Zhao, Mario Gomez-Hernandez, Min Hu, and Renyi Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 4951–4967, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-4951-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Severe regional haze events, which are characterized by exceedingly high levels of fine particulate matter (PM), occur frequently in many developing countries (such as China and India), with profound implications for human health, weather, and climate. Our work establishes a synthetic view for the dominant regional features during severe haze events, unraveling rapid in situ PM production and inefficient transport, both of which are amplified by atmospheric stagnation.
Jenna C. Ditto, Jo Machesky, and Drew R. Gentner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 3045–3065, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3045-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-3045-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We analyzed gases and aerosols sampled in summer and winter in a coastal region that is often downwind of urban areas and observed large contributions of nitrogen-containing organic compounds influenced by a mix of biogenic, anthropogenic, and/or marine sources as well as photochemical and aqueous-phase atmospheric processes. The results show the prevalence of key reduced and oxidized nitrogen functional groups and advance knowledge on the chemical structure of nitrogen-containing compounds.
Colby Buehler, Fulizi Xiong, Misti Levy Zamora, Kate M. Skog, Joseph Kohrman-Glaser, Stefan Colton, Michael McNamara, Kevin Ryan, Carrie Redlich, Matthew Bartos, Brandon Wong, Branko Kerkez, Kirsten Koehler, and Drew R. Gentner
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 995–1013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-995-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-995-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this paper we develop a stationary and portable low-cost multipollutant monitor capable of measuring a variety of human-health- and climate-related pollutants. While traditional reference instrumentation is sparsely spaced, these monitors can be deployed as a network to gain insight into the spatial and temporal variability within an urban setting, or in other targeted studies. We also implement an online calibration system to address long-term drift of sensors and adjust calibrations.
Jenna C. Ditto, Megan He, Tori N. Hass-Mitchell, Samar G. Moussa, Katherine Hayden, Shao-Meng Li, John Liggio, Amy Leithead, Patrick Lee, Michael J. Wheeler, Jeremy J. B. Wentzell, and Drew R. Gentner
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 255–267, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-255-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-255-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Forest fires are an important source of reactive organic gases and aerosols to the atmosphere. We analyzed organic aerosols collected from an aircraft above a boreal forest fire and reported an increasing contribution from compounds containing oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur as the plume aged, with sulfide and ring-bound nitrogen functionality. Our results demonstrated chemistry that is important in biomass burning but also in urban/developing regions with high local nitrogen and sulfur emissions.
Cited articles
Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC): Field Evaluation of AirThinx IAQ, 2016, Field Evaluation of AirThinx IAQ, http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/aq-spec/field-evaluations/airthinx-iaq--field-evaluation.pdf?sfvrsn=18, (last access: March 2022), 2016a.
Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC): Field Evaluation
Purple Air (PA-II) PM Sensor, http://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/aq-spec/field-evaluations/purple-air-pa-ii---field-evaluation.pdf?sfvrsn=2, (last access: March 2022), 2016b.
Buehler, C., Xiong, F., Zamora, M. L., Skog, K. M., Kohrman-Glaser, J., Colton, S., McNamara, M., Ryan, K., Redlich, C., Bartos, M., Wong, B., Kerkez, B., Koehler, K., and Gentner, D. R.:
Stationary and portable multipollutant monitors for high-spatiotemporal-resolution air quality studies including online calibration, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 14, 995–1013, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-14-995-2021, 2021.
Cross, E. S., Williams, L. R., Lewis, D. K., Magoon, G. R., Onasch, T. B., Kaminsky, M. L., Worsnop, D. R., and Jayne, J. T.:
Use of electrochemical sensors for measurement of air pollution: correcting interference response and validating measurements, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 10, 3575–3588, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-10-3575-2017, 2017.
Datta, A., Saha, A., Zamora, M. L., Buehler, C., Hao, L., Xiong, F., Gentner, D. R., and Koehler, K.:
Statistical field calibration of a low-cost PM2.5 monitoring network in Baltimore, Atmos. Environ., 242, 117761, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117761, 2020.
Gao, M., Cao, J., and Seto, E.:
A distributed network of low-cost continuous reading sensors to measure spatiotemporal variations of PM2.5 in Xi'an, China, Environ. Pollut., 199, 56–65, 2015.
Hagler, G. S., Williams, R., Papapostolou, V., and Polidori, A.:
Air Quality Sensors and Data Adjustment Algorithms: When Is It No Longer a Measurement?, Environ. Sci. Technol., 52, 5530–5531, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b01826, 2018.
Heimann, I., Bright, V., McLeod, M., Mead, M., Popoola, O., Stewart, G., and Jones, R.:
Source attribution of air pollution by spatial scale separation using high spatial density networks of low cost air quality sensors, Atmos. Environ., 113, 10–19, 2015.
Holstius, D. M., Pillarisetti, A., Smith, K. R., and Seto, E.:
Field calibrations of a low-cost aerosol sensor at a regulatory monitoring site in California, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 7, 1121–1131, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-7-1121-2014, 2014.
Ikram, J., Tahir, A., Kazmi, H., Khan, Z., Javed, R., and Masood, U.:
View: implementing low cost air quality monitoring solution for urban areas, Sensors, 4, 100, https://doi.org/10.1186/2193-2697-1-10, 2012.
Kim, J., Shusterman, A. A., Lieschke, K. J., Newman, C., and Cohen, R. C.:
The BErkeley Atmospheric CO2 Observation Network: field calibration and evaluation of low-cost air quality sensors, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 1937–1946, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-1937-2018, 2018.
Levy Zamora, M., Xiong, F., Gentner, D., Kerkez, B., Kohrman-Glaser, J., and Koehler, K.:
Field and laboratory evaluations of the low-cost plantower particulate matter sensor, Environ. Sci. Technol., 53, 838–849, 2018a.
Levy Zamora, M., Pulczinski, J. C., Johnson, N., Garcia-Hernandez, R., Rule, A., Carrillo, G., Zietsman, J., Sandragorsian, B., Vallamsundar, S., Askariyeh, M. H., and Koehler, K.:
Maternal exposure to PM2.5 in south Texas, a pilot study, Sci. Total Environ., 628–629, 1497–1507, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.138, 2018b.
Levy Zamora, M., Buehler, C., Lei, H., Datta, A., Xiong, F., Gentner, D. R., and Koehler, K.: Evaluating the performance of using low-cost sensors to calibrate for cross-sensitivities in a multipollutant network, ACS EST Eng., 5, 780–793, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.1c00367, 2022.
Li, J., Hauryliuk, A., Malings, C., Eilenberg, S. R., Subramanian, R., and Presto, A. A.:
Characterizing the Aging of Alphasense NO2 Sensors in Long-Term Field Deployments, ACS Sensors, 6, 2952–2959, https://doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.1c00729, 2021.
Mead, M. I., Popoola, O. A. M., Stewart, G. B., Landshoff, P., Calleja, M., Hayes, M., Baldovi, J. J., McLeod, M. W., Hodgson, T. F., Dicks, J., Lewis, A., Cohen, J., Baron, R., Saffell, J. R., and Jones, R. L.:
The use of electrochemical sensors for monitoring urban air quality in low-cost, high-density networks, Atmos. Environ., 70, 186–203, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.11.060, 2013.
Mukherjee, A., Brown, S. G., McCarthy, M. C., Pavlovic, N. R., Stanton, L. G., Snyder, J. L., D'Andrea, S., and Hafner, H. R.:
Measuring Spatial and Temporal PM2.5 Variations in Sacramento, California, communities using a network of low-cost sensors, Sensors 19, 21, 4701, https://doi.org/10.3390/s19214701, 2019.
Okorn, K. and Hannigan, M.:
Improving Air Pollutant Metal Oxide Sensor Quantification Practices through: An Exploration of Sensor Signal Normalization, Multi-Sensor and Universal Calibration Model Generation, and Physical Factors Such as Co-Location Duration and Sensor Age, Atmosphere, 12, 645, https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12050645, 2021.
Pinto, J., Dibb, J., Lee, B., Rappenglück, B., Wood, E., Levy, M., Zhang, R. Y., Lefer, B., Ren, X. R., and Stutz, J.:
Intercomparison of field measurements of nitrous acid (HONO) during the SHARP campaign, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 119, 5583–5601, 2014.
Ripoll, A., Viana, M., Padrosa, M., Querol, X., Minutolo, A., Hou, K. M., Barcelo-Ordinas, J. M., and García-Vidal, J.:
Testing the performance of sensors for ozone pollution monitoring in a citizen science approach, Sci. Total Environ., 651, 1166–1179, 2019.
Sayahi, T., Butterfield, A., and Kelly, K. E.:
Long-term field evaluation of the Plantower PMS low-cost particulate matter sensors, Environ. Pollut., 245, 932–940, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2018.11.065, 2019.
Spinelle, L., Gerboles, M., and Aleixandre, M.:
Performance evaluation of amperometric sensors for the monitoring of O3 and NO2 in ambient air at ppb level, Procedia Engineer., 120, 480–483, 2015.
Spinelle, L., Gerboles, M., Villani, M. G., Aleixandre, M., and Bonavitacola, F.:
Field calibration of a cluster of low-cost commercially available sensors for air quality monitoring. Part B: NO, CO and CO2, Sensor. Actuat. B-Chem., 238, 706–715, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2016.07.036, 2017.
Taylor, M. D.:
Low-cost air quality monitors: Modeling and characterization of sensor drift in optical particle counters, 2016 IEEE SENSORS, 1–3, IEEE, https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSENS.2016.7808832, 2016.
The Math Works, Inc.: MATLAB, version 2020a (Natick, MA: The Math Works, Inc., 2020), MATLAB [data set], https://www.mathworks.com/, last access: 28 May 2020.
Topalović, D. B., Davidović, M. D., Jovanović, M., Bartonova, A., Ristovski, Z., and Jovašević-Stojanović, M.:
In search of an optimal in-field calibration method of low-cost gas sensors for ambient air pollutants: Comparison of linear, multilinear and artificial neural network approaches, Atmos. Environ., 213, 640–658, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.06.028, 2019.
van Zoest, V., Osei, F. B., Stein, A., and Hoek, G.:
Calibration of low-cost NO2 sensors in an urban air quality network, Atmos. Environ., 210, 66–75, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.04.048, 2019.
Zimmerman, N., Presto, A. A., Kumar, S. P. N., Gu, J., Hauryliuk, A., Robinson, E. S., Robinson, A. L., and R. Subramanian: A machine learning calibration model using random forests to improve sensor performance for lower-cost air quality monitoring, Atmos. Meas. Tech., 11, 291–313, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-11-291-2018, 2018.
Short summary
We assessed five pairs of co-located reference and low-cost sensor data sets (PM2.5, O3, NO2, NO, and CO) to make recommendations for best practices regarding the field calibration of low-cost air quality sensors. We found diminishing improvements for calibration periods longer than about 6 weeks for all sensors and that co-location can be minimized if the period is strategically selected and monitored so that the calibration period is representative of the desired measurement setting.
We assessed five pairs of co-located reference and low-cost sensor data sets (PM2.5, O3, NO2,...