Gordon Pierce
WESTAR Fall Business Meeting
Denver, CO
November 6, 2013
Problem
 Small, low-cost air monitors are becoming
common and easy to obtain
 Anyone can monitor and post data to a website
 Quality of the data are unknown
 Hard for agencies to deal with after data are out
 EPA has held a series of “Air Sensors” workshops at
RTP focused on next-generation air monitoring
 Most recent was in March 2013
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Overview
 Low cost = less than $2000, many less than $1000
 Small, easy to transport
 Some put out high quality data
 Data easy to upload
 Many samplers do not currently have adequate
validation
 Communications are lacking
 O3, CO, CO2, NO2, PM and VOC are the most
common applications being developed
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What is being done?
 EPA has held a series of “Air Sensors” workshops at
RTP focused on next-generation air monitoring
 Most recent was in March 2013
 Goal is to get information to vendors on:
 What types of monitoring is needed?
 What are typical ambient levels of pollutants?
 What types of sensors are available?
 What validation/calibration is needed?
 What documentation is needed?
 Want to put the responsibility on manufacturers for
their product
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Data Quality Requirements
EPA
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Characteristics of Gas and PM Sensors
White, Univ. of Calif. Berkeley
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Future
 Next-generation samplers are here and their use
will expand
 Will likely become a key component of health care
 EPA needs to get out in front
 Better communication with manufacturers,
communities, regulators
 Clearinghouse is needed with toolbox
 Better health-risk data are needed
 Possibly restart the Environmental Technology
Verification (ETV) program
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EPA Draft Roadmap
 Intended to summarize major findings
from literature reviews, workshops, and
discussions with experts about Next
Generation of Air Monitoring (NGAM),
particularly sensor technologies.
 Developed to share EPAs early thinking
about how best to support the successful
development and use of new monitoring
technologies
 Identifies key issues in need of EPA
leadership and an ambitious set of
priority objectives for EPA and other
partners to address
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Example: EPA Village Green Project
 Solar-powered air-monitoring system designed and
incorporated into a park bench
 EPA began testing the system in the summer of 2013
 Measures O3, particulates, meteorology
 Air pollution and weather data are automatically sent
to the Village Green Project website
 http://villagegreen.epa.gov
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Example: AirCasting
 Platform for recording, mapping, and sharing health
and environmental data using your smartphone
 Connects to the AirCasting Android app over
Bluetooth
 CO and NO2 sensors
 Plans and self-build for $200
 www.habitatmap.org
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Example: Air Quality Egg
 Egg-shaped base station receives the wirelessly
transmitted data from the sensor box outside
 Relays that data to the Internet via a wired Ethernet
connection
 CO and NO2 sensors
 Purchase for $185
 www.airqualityegg.com
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Example: M-Pod
 Developed by University of Colorado
 O3, NO2, CO, CO2, VOC, temperature, RH
 Data uploaded to mobile device and web
 Costs $300
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Example: Dylos
 Laser Particle Counter with 2 size ranges
 Store up to 30 days of air quality history
 Costs $200 - $300 (depending on options)
 www.dylosproducts.com
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Example: CitiSense
 Data wirelessly transmitted to the user’s smartphone
 Displayed on the smartphone via a custom app
 Display also utilizes the EPA’s color code scale
 O3, CO, NO2
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Questions?
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