AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Abstract View
Application of "Low-Cost" Particulate Matter Sensors to Measure Fugitive Dust at the Fenceline of a Waste Processing Facility
BRANDON FEENSTRA, Vasileios Papapostolou, Hang Zhang, Andrea Polidori, South Coast Air Quality Management District
Abstract Number: 134 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract With the emergence of low-cost air sensing technology, novel applications and case studies are being developed that increase the spatial and temporal resolution of current air monitoring networks. While air quality is typically measured at a regional level (25 by 25 km), stationary sources of air pollution can significantly contribute to the overall air pollution impacts at a local level. An air quality sampling campaign was designed to monitor fugitive dust emissions from a waste processing facility in southern California. A network of nine solar-powered sensor nodes equipped with an Optical Particulate Counter (Model OPC-N2, Alphasense, UK) and a 900 MHz mesh network gateway were deployed at the fence-line of the facility. The OPC-N2 reported PM mass concentrations for three PM size fractions (i.e., PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0), while the gateway allowed the nodes to transmit data to a central cellular communication gateway. The waste transfer facility is located in close proximity to and upwind of an elementary school and residential housing. Results of the air monitoring campaign will show how fugitive dust emissions from the facility relate to meteorological data, facility activities, and exceptional events. The results of the sensor network provide valuable real-time PM measurements pre, post, and during the renovation process with the opportunity of quantifying the costs and benefits of specific emissions control strategies. Real-time monitoring data can provide both the facility and the community stakeholders with valuable information to better understand local air quality conditions.