Usage of Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors for Characterization of Emission Dynamics at a Traffic Intersection and for the Description of Pollution in Urban Areas 2020-01-1636

Despite the increase in public attention to particulate matter emissions since the millennium and the known effects on the human organism, representative predictions on the dispersion of emissions in both urban and rural areas are hardly possible so far. Especially the validation of simulations with measurement results is not possible due to the limited number and high price of certified measuring instruments. Rather, the temporally high-resolution measuring instruments are only sporadically distributed within the city, so that emission dynamics at traffic hotspots, such as traffic jams or intersections, cannot be depicted. Furthermore, due to the small number of certified measuring instruments, fine dust pollution can only be interpolated over long distances.

In this paper, first results from a study about the transport characteristics of particles at a road intersection will be made by using a variety of so-called low-cost particulate matter sensors. Furthermore, the portable low-cost sensors will be used for the mobile measurement of fine dust concentrations in large areas. 20 sensors of the type Plantower PMS7003 were distributed along a traffic intersection. The sensors, previously calibrated on a test setup, determine the particle classes PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 in real time and additionally the temperature and humidity. This alloes the analysis of the fine dust concentrations in great detail, also with regard to the prevailing weather conditions. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass lokale Unterschiede mit dem Low-Cost Sensoren festzustellen sind, Zusätzlich können zeitliche Änderungen in der Partikelkonzentration entlang der Kreuzung beobachtet werdn. In the further course of the project, the mobile sensors will be to map an urban area with regard to the fine dust distribution.