Cities & Municipalities
Versatile & Perfect for any air pollution monitoring challenge you encounter
Fortunately, modern air pollution sensors have evolved from bulky laboratory equipment into sophisticated yet accessible mobile devices that provide real time data about the air we breathe in today. What once required expensive, room-sized equipment operated by trained technicians can now be accomplished with portable devices small enough to fit in your pocket.
These can be attached to a car, fleet vehicle like a bus, drone or stationary points. This empowers smart city urban planners, municipalities and industrial sites with real time air pollution monitoring sensors to take control of their environmental health impacts quickly.
When you need to know the impacts wildfire smoke or air pollutant patterns in your community, these air pollution sensors will help you gather the data for deeper insights accurately and fast.
Award winning air pollution sensors
50+ Samples Per Minutes from the Air Pollution
Sensors24/7 continuous air quality collection
~ 1 Million data points per device per month
What Are Air Pollution Sensors?
Air pollution sensors are sophisticated electronic devices engineered to detect and measure specific air pollution contaminants and particulate matter suspended in the air.
These air pollution sensors transform chemical or physical interactions with ambient air into readable electronic signals, providing accurate data about pollutant concentrations in real time.
How Do Air Pollution Sensors Work?
Modern air pollution sensors commonly target six primary pollutants: particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon dioxide CO2, ozone O3, nitrogen dioxide NO2, carbon monoxide CO, and volatile organic compounds. Each air pollutant requires different detection methods, leading to diverse sensor technologies optimized for specific measurement tasks.
For particulate matter detection, most contemporary sensors utilize laser scattering technology. A low-power laser beam passes through an air sample, and particles in the air scatter the beam at different angles and intensities. Sensitive photodetectors measure these scattered light patterns, which are computationally analyzed to estimate both the size and concentration of particulates.
This method enables high temporal resolution monitoring in relatively compact device designs.Gaseous pollutants employ different detection methods.
Electrochemical sensors detect gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone by monitoring minute electrical currents generated by chemical reactions between the target gas and sensor electrodes.
Metal oxide semiconductor sensors leverage changes in electrical conductivity when exposed to specific gases, making them particularly effective for measuring volatile organic compounds and certain oxidizing gases.
The sensors for air pollution collect data and it is processed by onboard microcontrollers, frequently connected to cloud-based servers via WiFi, Bluetooth, or cellular networks. This connectivity enables continuous data logging, real time monitoring, and integration with alert systems.
Most devices translate complex pollutant concentrations into standardized Air Quality Index readings, providing simplified health risk guidance that users can easily understand and act upon immediately by key decision makers in your county, municipality or industrial worksite.
Outdoor Air Quality Monitoring
Outdoor air monitoring stations employ highly accurate, reference-grade equipment designed to measure ambient air pollution from traffic, industrial sources, and natural events like wildfires. These systems often include meteorological sensors to measure wind speed, air pressure, and environmental conditions that affect pollutant dispersion.
These air pollution sensors measure multiple pollutants simultaneously and transmit data to central databases where it’s processed into air quality forecasts and public advisories. This provides the foundation for regulatory compliance and public health protection quickly.
Eco System Informatics outdoor air monitoring system offers affordable air pollution sensors to enhance organizations like schools, environmental groups, research, private business to fill gaps in official monitoring networks, particularly in underserved areas where government stations may be sparse.
Can we Use Portable Air Pollution Sensors?
Portable air pollution devices can be attached to a car, fleet vehicle like a bus or work trucks, drone beyond the traditional stationary posts to research exposure monitoring during daily activities. These compact, industrial air sensors can be used during daily work activities recording real time air pollution exposure from to various pollutants.
Urban planners can gather data on air pollution exposure patterns that stationary monitors cannot capture. For example, a cyclist might discover that their route through a busy intersection exposes them to significantly higher pollution levels than alternative paths.
A county with a wildfire can inform seniors and parents the cleanest times for outdoor activities with children.Make informed decisions quickly about when and where to exercise outdoors, which routes to take during commutes, and how to minimize exposure during high pollution episodes.
Data Points Per Device Per Month
Continuous Operation
Samples Per Minute
Understanding the specific pollutants that air quality sensors detect helps users interpret sensor data and make appropriate health decisions. Each air pollutant has different sources, health impacts, and measurement challenges that influence sensor selection and data interpretation.
Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
Particulate matter consists of fine particles suspended in the air, categorized by size. PM2.5 refers to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, while PM10 includes particles up to 10 micrometers.
These fine particles originate from vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, wildfire smoke, and dust from construction or natural sources.PM2.5 particles are particularly concerning because their small size allows them to penetrate deep into lung tissue and enter the bloodstream.
Long-term exposure to elevated PM2.5 concentrations contributes to cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, and premature mortality. During wildfire events, PM2.5 levels can spike dramatically, requiring immediate protective actions like staying indoors and using air purifiers.Most consumer air quality monitors focus on PM2.5 measurement due to its significant health impacts and the relative accuracy of laser scattering sensors for this size range.
Users often find PM2.5 data most actionable for daily decisions about outdoor activities and indoor air management.
Nitrogen Oxides and Traffic Pollution
Nitrogen dioxide and other nitrogen oxides primarily originate from vehicle exhaust and industrial combustion processes. These NO2 gases contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary particulate matter, creating complex pollution mixtures that affect respiratory health.Urban areas with heavy traffic typically show elevated nitrogen dioxide concentrations, particularly along major roadways and during rush hour periods.
Residents living near busy streets often experience higher exposure levels than those in less traffic-dense areas.Air pollution sensors that measure nitrogen oxides help users understand traffic-related pollution exposure and make informed decisions about housing locations, commuting routes, and outdoor exercise timing.
Some air sensors discover significant variation in nitrogen dioxide levels between different areas of their neighborhood, enabling them to choose cleaner locations for outdoor activities.
GHG Emissions Monitoring
From industrial sites to urban areas, our air pollution sensing platform meets diverse monitoring needs for green house gas emission tracking and ghg emissions monitoring.
Ozone and Photochemical Pollution
Ground-level ozone forms through complex chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. Unlike ozone in the upper atmosphere that protects us from ultraviolet radiation, ground-level ozone is a harmful air pollutant that irritates respiratory systems.
Ozone O3 concentrations typically peak during warm, sunny afternoons when photochemical reactions are most active. This pattern means that ozone pollution often becomes problematic during summer months and in regions with abundant sunshine combined with vehicle emissions and industrial activity.
People with asthma or other respiratory conditions are particularly sensitive to ozone exposure. Air quality sensors that measure ozone help these individuals plan outdoor activities for times when concentrations are lower, typically in early morning or evening hours.
Carbon Monoxide from Combustion Sources
Carbon monoxide CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas produced by incomplete combustion in vehicles, gas appliances, fireplaces, and other fuel-burning equipment.
Unlike other pollutants that primarily cause long-term health effects, carbon monoxide can be immediately dangerous at high concentrations.While ambient outdoor carbon monoxide levels are generally low in most areas, they can spike near busy roadways or in enclosed spaces like parking structures.
Some users employ portable sensors to identify high-exposure situations during their daily routines.
Volatile Organic Compounds and Chemical Emissions
Volatile organic compounds encompass a broad category of chemicals that easily evaporate at room temperature.
Outdoor VOC sources include vehicle emissions, industrial facilities, and natural sources like vegetation.VOC sensors help users identify air pollution sources and take appropriate mitigation actions. However, VOC measurement presents technical challenges, and many low cost sensors struggle with accuracy and calibration stability over time.
Explore our advanced technology with comprehensive air quality sensors to collect data and analysis.
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