[cleanairuk_news] Air quality/pollution sensing in 2012 (citizen science/hackspace)

[Network for Clean Air]

*Citizen science & hackspace air quality monitoring in 2012*

This is a summary of some of the air quality/ air pollution projects in
2012 based on low cost micro-computer technology and data networking.
They're at various stages of development and there are others which have
been missed, no doubt. Please join the list and fill-in those left out!
Thanks.

Join the list: http://www.cleanairuk.org/mailman/listinfo/news_cleanairuk.org

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*Air Quality Egg* This project is well advanced; received crowd sourced
funding in 2012; manufactured several hundred kits. It uses an Audrino
board in a indoors base station shaped like an egg with a ethernet link,
and then a radio link to outdoor air quality monitors. It's very much a
project in progress. Don't expect a commercial finish project – it's a
participatory project albeit one closely associated with the commercial
data gathering company COSM and kit manufacturer Wicked Devices.
Semi-conductor sensor devices by SGX Sensortech Limited (formerly e2v).
Project based in New York, USA and evangelised by Joe Saavedra and Ed
Borden. Monitors nitrogen dioxide - NO2, carbon monoxide – CO, 
temperature and humidity. Details:
http://airqualityegg.wikispaces.com/AirQualityEgg

*LaboCitoyen* At this time, this project is in its infancy. It uses a
Raspberry Pi board in an outdoor mounted case; a mobile dongle (GPRS) for
its internet link; the non-commercial data services of Thing Stream:
http://thingstream.net/. Uses off the shelf components notably
electro-chemical sensors from AlphaSense (B4-series sensors). Project
based in Paris, France. Monitors NO2 (SO2 & O3 proposed). Details:
http://wiki.labocitoyen.fr/index.php?n=Hardware.Gasser

*CitiSense* This is a pilot study by a group from the University
California San Diego with a grant from the US Government (National Science
Foundation). This is a portable sensor unit carried in a backpack or
elsewhere which uses bluetooth to connect to an Android smart-phone (GPS
for location discovery and mobile internet connection).  Details: 
http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/newsrel/science/12-09CellAirPollution.asp and
IEEE reporting in December 2012 here:
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/at-work/test-and-measurement/personal-environmental-monitors-bigpicture-data
The photograph in the IEEE report shows AlphaSense air quality sensors; 8
bit Microcontroller ATMEGA 1284 (also used in Audrino boards). Monitors:
nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3) along with
temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure.

*AirCasting* This is a citizen science project based in New York:
'AirCasting is a platform for recording, mapping, and sharing health and
environmental data using your smartphone. Each AirCasting session lets you
capture real-world measurements, annotate the data to tell your story, and
share it via the CrowdMap. Using the AirCasting Android app, AirCasters
can record, map, and share: sound levels recorded by their phone
microphone; Temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) gas concentrations recorded by the Arduino-powered
AirCasting Air Monitor; and Heart rate measurements recorded by the Zephyr
HxM.' Details: http://www.aircasting.org/

*Safecast* Safecast who built a network of radiation sensors deployed in
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear diaster are also working on an air quality
network for the Los Angeles area in the US. Co-ordinated by Ariel Levi
Simons. At this time, the project is at an early stage. News reporting of
project and funding:
http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/21/3367078/safecast-to-create-real-time-maps-of-air-quality-in-los-angeles
Video (from funder's website – Knight Capital):
http://www.knightfoundation.org/grants/20122224/ Discussion group:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/safecast-air

*Dust Monitor project* This project by Chris Nafis uses an Arduino board
attached to a 'inexpensive device' (Sharp GP2Y1010AU0F Optical Dust
Sensor) for sensing indoor air quality. He makes a comparison with the
accuracy of the results from a commercially available device for
monitoring dust and particulates. Details: 
http://www.howmuchsnow.com/arduino/airquality/

*Further reading*

* An excellent blog by Michael Heimbinder of AirCasting, founder and
Executive Director of HabitatMap: http://www.takingspace.org/

* The US Environmental Protection Agency hosted a number of conferences in
2012 on citizen science and air quality. The proceedings and presentations
are available on its website: http://www.citizenair.net