title: A distributed network of low-cost continuous reading sensors to measure spatiotemporal variations of PM2.5 in Xi'an, China.
abstract: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a growing public health concern especially in industrializing countries but existing monitoring networks are unable to properly characterize human exposures due to low resolution spatiotemporal data. Low-cost portable monitors can supplement existing networks in both developed and industrializing regions to increase density of sites and data. This study tests the performance of a low-cost sensor in high concentration urban environments. Seven Portable University of Washington Particle (PUWP) monitors were calibrated with optical and gravimetric PM2.5 reference monitors in Xi'an, China in December 2013. Pairwise correlations between the raw PUWP and the reference monitors were high (R(2) = 0.86-0.89). PUWP monitors were also simultaneously deployed at eight sites across Xi'an alongside gravimetric PM2.5 monitors (R(2) = 0.53). The PUWP monitors were able to identify the High-technology Zone site as a potential PM2.5 hotspot with sustained high concentrations compared to the city average throughout the day.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, 50 University Hall #7360, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. Electronic address: mgao@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Meiling
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Aerosol Science & Technology, SKLLQG, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 10 Fenghui South Road, High-tech Zone, Xi'an, 710075, China. Electronic address: cao@loess.llqg.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA, USA. Electronic address: eseto@uw.edu.
authors.forename: Edmund
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seto
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D011932:Reading
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Air quality; Exposure assessment; Low-cost portable sensor; Network monitoring; PM2.5