Journal Article

Validate personal air-pollution sensors

Edwards, Peter, Lewis, Alastair

2016

Overview

Simple sensors perform best when pollution levels are high and when the compound of interest swamps others - for example, sensors for nitric oxide (NO) and NO2 seem to work well in locations that have heavy traffic and high pollution levels, where concentrations of these gases approach the parts-per-million level.\\n Although we do not wish to stifle innovation, sensors that claim to be able to measure ambient pollution levels could be required to undergo an independent testing regime, as is the case for instruments that are used in regulatory measurements. People with asthma might use their local sensor data to make personal decisions on medication; an air-pollution sensor is not meant as a medical device, but its real-world application could make it function like one. For sensors that might be used for public policy, health studies or any type of infrastructure control, independent testing and verification is essential, as is already being done through long-standing environment-agency committees and national air-pollution schemes.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: 639/638 / 704/106/35 / 706/703/559 / Air pollution / Air Pollution - analysis / comment / Environmental Monitoring - economics / Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation / Environmental Monitoring - standards / Equipment Design - standards / Humanities and Social Sciences / Humans / multidisciplinary / Nitric oxide / Nitrogen dioxide / Outdoor air quality / Pollutants / Pollution levels / Public policy / Reproducibility of Results / Science / Sensors / Studies / Swamps