Insights from the development of an innovative air quality monitoring system

Abstract

The existing air pollution monitoring network in the Attica basin, overseen by the Ministry of the Environment (MEEN) consists of certified and high-cost sensors, and consequently is not dense enough. At the same time, it offers no easily accessible information to the citizens or representative data on population exposure. Low cost IoT sensors present a solution to the density issue, even though Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) is required to ensure accuracy of their measurements, but face challenges related to their deployment. Within that frame, the Smart Stations were developed by the FAIRCITY (ATTP4-0360457) project aiming to bridge Smart City Services (e.g., free internet, information, wheelchair/devices charging) with continuous air quality monitoring and exposure assessment. The smart info-kiosk benches powered by sunlight (manufactured by a Greek Innovation Company) were thus employed where low cost IoT sensors were embedded, offering a unique opportunity to monitor air quality at the level where citizens live. This endeavor faced several challenges related to the design of smart stations, the network, the information to be conveyed to the public and the scientific value of the data collected.