Approach
OxAir is at the forefront of using affordable, portable, reliable air quality sensing equipment and combining this with local knowledge and community engagement to generate a clearer picture of what air quality looks like across Oxford. OxAir sensors will characterise fine scale spatial and temporal variations in pollution which are needed to develop the latest, efficient local transport policies and to improve the evidence base on human exposures.
The Tech
OxAir will employ NOx and particulate sensing technology to collect air quality data across Oxford.
This technology can characterise fine scale spatial and temporal variations in pollution, which is needed to develop the latest, efficient local transport policies and to improve the evidence base on human exposures.
Electronic Diffusion Tube (EDT) NO2 sensors by Alphasense
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Electrochemical sensor, responds to NO2, but needs to be corrected to account for sensitivity to Nitric Oxide, Temp, Humidity, atmospheric pressure and ozone.
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Can produce one-minute data.
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Battery powered, and should last up to a year before replacing batteries.
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Talks to an Android phone via Bluetooth
Optical Particle Counter /Sensor OPCN2 (measures PM10 and PM2.5) by Alphasense
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Measures and sizes particles as they pass through a laser detector chamber.
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Built-in data logger is basic, but third party options for recording data are being explored.
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Data collection and processing at the moment requires some expert input.
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The analyser needs a weather proof housing and USB power supply.
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Analyser takes a measurement every 1.4 seconds and logs it in a standard CSV file.
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There are other options to control and log the data externally, these are still being developed.
Image shows sensor without the housing Raspberry Pi and communication elements
Both NO2 and particle sensor plus WIFI -South Coast Scientific, Alphasense sensors
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Measures both NO2 and particulates at 10 second averages
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Uses Alphasense sensors but houses them in a way that improves communications
