AAAR 37th Annual Conference October 14 - October 18, 2019 Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Evaluation of PurpleAir Sensors across the United States
KAROLINE BARKJOHN, Ian VonWald, Daniel Garver, Ryan Brown, Andrea Clements, U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development
Abstract Number: 67 Working Group: Air Quality Sensors: Low-cost != Low Complexity
Abstract PurpleAir particulate matter sensors are widely used by individuals, community groups, and other organizations including state and local air monitoring agencies; these sensors comprise a massive, global network of > 6000 sensors. Previous performance evaluations have studied PurpleAir sensors in just a few locations for short time periods and these results describing sensor behavior and data normalization may not be translatable to areas with different environmental conditions and aerosol compositions. Here, we evaluate the performance of PurpleAir sensors in comparison to collocated reference monitoring sites over time periods ranging from a few months to longer than a year. Sites are located in diverse regions across the US including Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina, and other states. The importance of environmental conditions (i.e. temperature and relative humidity) on the accuracy and the feasibility of regional and seasonal corrections will be explored. This analysis will help to interpret PurpleAir sensor data from a wide range of environments and understand the potential of this growing low-cost sensor network to answer pressing questions about particulate exposure on personal to global scales.
Disclaimer: Although this abstract was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.