AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Abstract View
Aerosol Detection using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
ANDREW DART, Jonathan Thornburg, RTI International
Abstract Number: 440 Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods
Abstract The goal of this research is to develop an aerosol detection capability that will enable real time analysis of telemetry data from a mobile aerial sensor platform. This effort strives to achieve a level of accuracy and repeatability in aerosol measurement that is comparable to stationary ground-based platforms, but with the freedom to collect continuous measurements in flight. This will provide access to measure aerosol concentrations in a dynamically changing plume of aerosol, in motion. The association between adverse health outcomes and poor air quality has been clearly demonstrated and the Global Burden of Disease Study ranks air pollution as the fourth greatest cause of death worldwide behind high blood pressure, dietary risks, and smoking. Ambient samples of particulate matter are routinely collected for purposes of conducting special research studies and for assessing compliance with ambient health regulations. EPAs Air Quality System contains data from approximately 4,000 monitoring stations around the country. Data from the AQS is considered the “gold standard” for determining outdoor air pollution, but this comes at a cost. Fixed stations are primarily located in urban areas and resolution of measurement data is poor. Detailed information on air pollution concentrations is needed when quantifying their effects on human health and the environment. However, spatial and temporal resolution of data from these fixed locations is relatively low and often inadequate for local and regional applications.