AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Correlation Measurements of Indoor and Outdoor Particulate Matter Air Quality Using Low-Cost Air Pollution Sensors at a Freeway Site in Southern California
DANIEL B. CURTIS, Linh K. Luu, Brian M. Chavez, Karen E. McReynolds, California State University, Fullerton
Abstract Number: 634 Working Group: Air Quality Sensors: Low-cost != Low Complexity
Abstract The use of low-cost air pollution sensors is increasing rapidly due to their low-cost, small size, high time resolution, reliability and robustness, low power requirements, and ability to upload data online automatically for display on online maps available to the public. Although scientific-grade instruments provide high mass resolution and accurate measurements of pollutants, their bulk, complexity, and high cost make them impractical for large-scale projects. Low-cost air monitors therefore provide an opportunity to collect data in a large range of locations simultaneously for comparison. This study involved an evaluation of low-cost sensors to measure the particulate matter air quality indoors and outdoors under relatively non-polluted and polluted conditions near a freeway location in Southern California, USA. A total of three PurpleAir sensors (each containing two Plantower PMS5003 modules) were deployed on the adjacent campuses of California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) and Hope International University (HIU). One of the sensors was located indoors, while two sensors were located outdoors, allowing for a comparison between the indoor and outdoor air quality over a period of several months in 2018-2019. In this case, the number and mass concentrations of PM2.5, PM1.0, and PM10 were all lower indoors compared to outdoors, but the differences between indoor and outdoor air quality varied with particle size. Additionally, the measurements show a strong correlation between outdoor and indoor air pollution, indicating that outdoor aerosol particles are a significant source of indoor air pollution at this site. The results of this study indicate that low-cost sensors can be used to make comparison measurements of indoor and outdoor air quality. Overall, low-cost air sensors provide a unique platform for making comparison measurements across multiple locations cheaply, with high spatial and time resolution.