Over the past year, scientists at the University of Southampton have deployed low-cost air pollution sensors in Southampton, laying the foundations for the longer term aim of improving our understanding of local air pollution levels with the help of volunteers across the city.
Currently, scientists’ ability to monitor air pollution is limited by the high cost of the advanced equipment used to measure particulate matter - microscopic airborne dust particles which come from many sources including car exhausts, wood burners, and ship funnels.
In this latest study, published in Nature’s Scientific Reports, the University of Southampton researchers carried out a trial with much cheaper sensors that anyone can buy online to assess whether they could provide a cost effective way to monitor the particles in the air on a wider scale.
Read more at University of Southampton