Version 1
: Received: 24 September 2020 / Approved: 25 September 2020 / Online: 25 September 2020 (12:04:05 CEST)
How to cite:
Awokola, B.I.; Okello, G.; Mortimer, K.J.; Jewell, C.P.; Erhart, A.; Semple, S. Measuring Air Quality for Advocacy in Africa (MA3): Feasibility and Practicality of Longitudinal Ambient PM2.5 Measurement Using Low-Cost Sensors. Preprints2020, 2020090613. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202009.0613.v1
Awokola, B.I.; Okello, G.; Mortimer, K.J.; Jewell, C.P.; Erhart, A.; Semple, S. Measuring Air Quality for Advocacy in Africa (MA3): Feasibility and Practicality of Longitudinal Ambient PM2.5 Measurement Using Low-Cost Sensors. Preprints 2020, 2020090613. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202009.0613.v1
Awokola, B.I.; Okello, G.; Mortimer, K.J.; Jewell, C.P.; Erhart, A.; Semple, S. Measuring Air Quality for Advocacy in Africa (MA3): Feasibility and Practicality of Longitudinal Ambient PM2.5 Measurement Using Low-Cost Sensors. Preprints2020, 2020090613. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202009.0613.v1
APA Style
Awokola, B.I., Okello, G., Mortimer, K.J., Jewell, C.P., Erhart, A., & Semple, S. (2020). Measuring Air Quality for Advocacy in Africa (MA3): Feasibility and Practicality of Longitudinal Ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> Measurement Using Low-Cost Sensors. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202009.0613.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Awokola, B.I., Annette Erhart and Sean Semple. 2020 "Measuring Air Quality for Advocacy in Africa (MA3): Feasibility and Practicality of Longitudinal Ambient PM<sub>2.5</sub> Measurement Using Low-Cost Sensors" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202009.0613.v1
Abstract
Urban cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are faced with ambient air pollution. This is an important public health problem with models and limited monitoring data indicating high concentrations of pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Going through most global air quality index maps, however, information about ambient pollution from SSA is scarce. We evaluated the feasibility and practicality of longitudinal measurements of ambient PM2.5 using low-cost air quality sensors (Purple Air-II-SD) across thirteen locations in seven countries in SSA. Devices were used to gather data over a 30-day period with the aim of assessing the efficiency of its data recovery rate and identifying challenges experienced by users in each location. The median data recovery rate was 94% (range: 72% to 100%). The mean 24-hour concentration measured across all sites was 38 µg/m3 with the highest PM2.5 period average concentration of 91 µg/m3 measured in Kampala, Uganda and lowest concentrations of 15 µg/m3 measured in Faraja, The Gambia. Kampala-Uganda and Nnewi-Nigeria recorded the longest periods with concentrations>250µg/m3. Power outages, SD memory card issues, internet connectivity problems and device safety concerns were important challenges experienced when using Purple Air-II-SD sensors. Despite some operational challenges, this study demonstrated that it is reasonably practicable and feasible to establish a network of low-cost devices to provide data on local PM2.5 concentrationsin SSA countries. Such data are crucially needed to raise public-, societal and policymaker awareness about air pollution across SSA.
PM2.5 monitor; Ambient Air pollution; Measurement sensor; Low-cost; Feasibility; sub-Saharan Africa
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Atmospheric Science and Meteorology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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