AAAR 34th Annual Conference
October 12 - October 16, 2015
Hyatt Regency
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Abstract View
Continuous PM2.5 Monitor for Commercial Indoor Environments in China
James Farnsworth, Siva Iyer, ROB CALDOW, TSI Incorporated
Abstract Number: 12 Working Group: Indoor Aerosols
Abstract Air pollution in urban China has received significant attention in recent years. Annual PM2.5 averages in Beijing are nearly three times higher than the target of 35 µg/m3 recommended by the World Health Organization. Public awareness of PM2.5 exposure is growing due to wider data availability. Although Chinese citizens can access data from hundreds of outdoor PM2.5 monitoring stations across the country, indoor PM2.5 is largely unmonitored. On average, adults spend 90 percent or more of their time indoors (US EPA), and indoor PM2.5 levels differ from outdoor levels depending on HVAC system characteristics and building construction, making indoor levels important to monitor separately.
In this paper we present a wall-mount, low-maintenance PM2.5 monitor for continuous monitoring of air quality in commercial indoor environments, and a web application for network configuration, visualization, and data logging. Using the monitor and web application, building owners can network sensors together, log data, and make decisions based on the data. NIST traceable calibration and patent-pending autozero capabilities ensure accuracy over the range 5-300 µg/m3.
Extensive validation testing of the PM2.5 monitor has been completed. A comprehensive review of the validation test results is presented, including response comparison for a variety of aerosols; sensor calibration accuracy; measurement stability over time, temperature and RH; and agreement with TEOM during multi-week field testing in Beijing. Stress testing such as impact, vibration, and Highly Accelerated Life Testing (HALT) were employed to understand limitations of the device, and results are correlated to device robustness.
For demonstration and for continuous engineering monitoring, a network of 10 devices has been installed in TSI facilities located in Shoreview, MN and Beijing, China. Data is compared with outdoor measurements from nearby outdoor PM2.5 monitoring stations. Correlation results will be discussed.