Cities need good quality data on pollution levels, affected areas, sources and related information to be able to design strong air quality management plans. Know Your Air is an effort to develop and disseminate data for cities to be able to understand and address their air pollution challenges. This network of 200 low-cost air quality sensors, which are periodically calibrated, aims to increase the volume of real time air quality data available in the public domain and enhance public awareness on the air pollution issue. Our aim is to provide credible and reliable real-time air quality data using low-cost sensors.
To ensure that the network created generates credible real-time air quality data, the following approach was followed to establish this network:
Phase I: Field trial to assess the performance of different low-cost sensors in Indian weather conditions
In recent years, a range of low-cost air quality sensors with varying technical specifications and costs are available in the market. Four low-cost sensors were operated over a period of four months, to assess their performance in Indian weather conditions. The results of the sensors are available in this report. Based on the results of the study, it was concluded that the performance of Plantower 7003 sensor was superior than other sensors tested. Therefore, in the next phase, this sensor was used to set up the network.
Phase II: Deployment of 200 low-cost sensors to establish a network
To ensure data quality objectives are met, a set of standard operating procedures for network design, sensor siting, data validation, deployment and sensor maintenance were developed by an external air quality expert. The standard operating procedures can be referred here. These guidelines were followed for the deployment of a technically robust network of 200 low-cost air quality sensors which aims to produce reliable and credible air quality data for around 50 Indian cities and towns.
