A Low-cost Sensing System for Cooperative Air Quality Monitoring in Urban Areas

Air quality in urban areas is a very important topic as it closely affects the health of citizens. Recent studies highlight that the exposure to polluted air can increase the incidence of diseases and deteriorate the quality of life. Hence, it is necessary to develop tools for real-time air quality monitoring, so as to allow appropriate and timely decisions. In this paper, we present uSense, a low-cost cooperative monitoring tool that allows knowing, in real-time, the concentrations of polluting gases in various areas of the city. Specifically, users monitor the areas of their interest by deploying low-cost and low-power sensor nodes. In addition, they can share the collected data following a social networking approach. uSense has been tested through an in-field experimentation performed in different areas of a city. The obtained results are in line with those provided by the local environmental control authority and show that uSense can be profitably used for air quality monitoring

Integrated Sensor Systems for Smart Cities

Smart cities are ubiquitous topic today, and emerge as preferred concept for future development of human lifestyle. In the international literature, there are only a few articles dealing critically with the topic of the smart cities, and even fewer of them are interdisciplinary. Integrated sensor systems are a prerequisite for developing the concept of smart cities in practice because individual sensors can hardly meet the demands of the smart cities for complex information. This paper provides an overview of the theoretical concept of smart cities and the integrated sensor systems. The article promotes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the smart cities, where geomatics should also contribute due to the fact that most of the information has a spatial component

Development of a new device for the measurement and modeling of an innovative risk index for cultural heritage application

The monitoring, as a function of time, of environmental parameters in cultural heritage is essential to preserve materials, to recognize the reasons of degradation and to evaluate their effects. The degrading effects of objects in cultural heritage field, can be classified in optical, morphological, physical-chemical/mechanical and alterations and depend by micro-climatic conditions. For this reason, in recent years, several solutions have been developed and commercialized for environmental monitoring, some compatible with general advice and others OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing). However, the trend of application between compliant and non-ISO-compliant devices has not yet been sufficiently analyzed. In this first section, we show how in the last ten years researchers have shifted their attention to custom-made devices based on new generation sensors despite the expense of units ISO certified. The study based on a review of scientific articles has shown that: with the increase of low-cost and open-source technologies applied in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and in particular in the cultural heritage, led to a research advancement in the field, but, at the same time, increased non-homogeneity of the methods, impinging comparability of results. In recent years the trend is to use low-cost automatic wireless systems. This innovation, however, opens new scenarios and challenges on how to improve their stability, longevity, and sensitivity; reduce maintenance (battery replacement, including calibration or sensors); improve data analysis/management/display costs. In particular, it has highlighted the current difficulty of low-cost detectors to satisfy the robustness and reliability of regulatory and conventional stationary monitors at the expense of the periods and aesthetics. We have therefore paid particular attention to the sensitivity and reliability of the innovative solutions presented to overcome the traditional limitations, as well as to the real feasibility of solutions regarding sustainability, adaptability to the works of art or price. We also see the need for more communication between the scientific community and the decision-makers, who have only recently opened up to this paradigm. We highlighted the need to identify recurrent or innovative topics in the various documents concerning the approaches to preventive conservation, the preservation of damage and environmental management. After a review of state of the art regarding the different sampling device applied in cultural heritage and a survey of the parameters that involve a degradation effect on the materials, in this section, we focus our attention on a sensors-based prototype able to detect: (i) temperature and relative humidity; (ii) NO, NO2 and SO2; (iii) vibrations. In particular, this section describes the design and the validation of the Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) propose3, named WENDY, an acronym for Wireless Environmental moNitoring Device prototYpe. WENDY, built on a microcontroller of ATmega328P series, gathers signals from a sensor for temperature and relative humidity; a 9-axis MIMU; and three gas detection miniature boards (NO, NO2 and SO2). Complete the board a connector for memory card (SD) and an RTC. Additionally, a module based on the ZigBee standard could be used to transmit all data. In this section, precisely, we present the performances of the WSN node in detecting: structure tilt, vibrations and the daily cycle of humidity, temperature and gas deposition. The experimental setup used to evaluate the accuracy of MIMU system highlighted a relative error on shock acceleration measurement, in term of normalized root mean square error, lower than 0.1 % for the sinusoidal input and 0.51 % for cardinal sin input, with an average accuracy in the principal peak reconstruction of 1 % in the chosen frequency range (5 Hz to 50 Hz). The MIMU accuracy for tilt measurement, evaluated through the root mean square error was equal to 0.3° and a standard deviation always lower than 0.4° in the 0-90° tilt range. The gas detection and temperature/ humidity boards showed data comparable with the nearby certified ARPA system device. The aim of the applicative section is monitoring effects of different factors which affect the “Minerva Medica Temple,” an archeological site in Rome. In particular, we focus on: (i) the seasonal thermal variations on the structure; (ii) the contamination due to by local traffic regarding gaseous pollutant and (iii) the dynamic response of the structure to a tramway line located in Rome and called “Roma- Giardinetti.” The developed system allows for prioritization of intervention both for management and interventions planning, regarding restoration, consolidation, and conservation. Moreover, the software structure of the environmental monitoring device is presented and expounded in detail.4 Always in this section, an innovative procedure for the evaluation of the environmental hazard in cultural heritage is proposed. This risk assessment can be considered as a “relative risk assessment methodology.” In particular, it considers the impacts of microclimatic conditions on the monument, based on the international norms and the current scientific knowledge. For measurement campaigns with WENDY, the risk method proposed is applied to the results of two measurement campaigns carried out between 2017 and 2018 over two different periods (September-December and March-July), at “Minerva Medica Temple,” in Rome

Contextual sensing : integrating contextual information with human and technical geo-sensor information for smart cities

In this article we critically discuss the challenge of integrating contextual information, in particular spatiotemporal contextual information, with human and technical sensor information, which we approach from a geospatial perspective. We start by highlighting the significance of context in general and spatiotemporal context in particular and introduce a smart city model of interactions between humans, the environment, and technology, with context at the common interface. We then focus on both the intentional and the unintentional sensing capabilities of todays technologies and discuss current technological trends that we consider have the ability to enrich human and technical geo-sensor information with contextual detail. The different types of sensors used to collect contextual information are analyzed and sorted into three groups on the basis of names considering frequently used related terms, and characteristic contextual parameters. These three groups, namely technical in situ sensors, technical remote sensors, and human sensors are analyzed and linked to three dimensions involved in sensing (data generation, geographic phenomena, and type of sensing). In contrast to other scientific publications, we found a large number of technologies and applications using in situ and mobile technical sensors within the context of smart cities, and surprisingly limited use of remote sensing approaches. In this article we further provide a critical discussion of possible impacts and influences of both technical and human sensing approaches on society, pointing out that a larger number of sensors, increased fusion of information, and the use of standardized data formats and interfaces will not necessarily result in any improvement in the quality of life of the citizens of a smart city. This article seeks to improve our understanding of technical and human geo-sensing capabilities, and to demonstrate that the use of such sensors can facilitate the integration of different types of contextual information, thus providing an additional, namely the geo-spatial perspective on the future development of smart cities.(VLID)165464

Low-power techniques for wireless gas sensing network applications: pulsed light excitation with data extraction strategies

Aquesta tesi està enfocada en dues línies d'investigació. La primera aborda el desenvolupament d'una metodologia basada en llum polsada per modulació de sensors químic-resistius per a l'extracció d'informació del senyal transitòri, i la segona planteja la implementació d'una xarxa sense fils de sensors (WSN) basada en tecnologia LoRa per al monitoratge de la qualitat de l'aire (AQM) i la detecció d'esdeveniments de fuita de gasos. Aquest document està estructurat en quatre capítols organitzats de la següent manera: el Capítol 1 presenta l'estat de l'art, una introducció als mecanismes de millora de l'comportament dels sensors químic-resistius, així com una introducció a la implementació de xarxes sense fils de sensors per a la monitorització de la qualitat de l'aire; el Capítol 2 està compost pels dos articles publicats relacionats amb la metodologia basada en la modulació utilitzant llum polsada per a l'extracció d'informació del senyal transitòria de sensors químic-resistius; el Capítol 3 presenta l'article publicat relacionat amb la implementació d'una WSN per a AQM; el Capítol 4 presenta les conclusions derivades dels resultats obtinguts durant el desenvolupament de el projecte de tesi i les recomanacions per al treball futur associat a la continuïtat dels principals resultats d'aquesta tesiLa presente tesis está enfocada en dos líneas de investigación, La primera aborda el desarrollo de una metodología basada en luz pulsada para modulación de sensores químico-resistivos para la extracción de información de la señal transitoria; y la segunda plantea la implementación de una red inalámbrica de sensores (WSN) basada en tecnología LoRa para la monitorización de la calidad del aire (AQM) y la detección de eventos de fuga de gases. Este documento está estructurado en cuatro capítulos organizados de la siguiente forma: el Capítulo 1 presenta el estado del arte, una introducción a los mecanismos de mejora del comportamiento de los sensores químico-resistivos, así como una introducción a la implementación de redes inalámbricas de sensores para la monitorización de la calidad del aire; el Capítulo 2 está compuesto por los dos artículos publicados relacionados con la metodología basada en la modulación utilizando luz pulsada para la extracción de información de la señal transitoria de sensores químico-resistivos; el Capítulo 3 presenta el artículo publicado relacionado con la implementación de una WSN para AQM; el Capítulo 4 presenta las conclusiones derivadas de los resultados obtenidos durante el desarrollo de el proyecto de tesis y las recomendaciones para el trabajo futuro asociado a la continuidad de los principales resultados de esta tesis.The present thesis project is focused in two different yet related research lines. The first one addresses the development of a pulsed light-based chemiresistive sensor modulation methodology for transient information extraction. The second research line developed deals with the implementation of a LoRa-based portable, scalable, low-cost, and low power Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) for Air Quality Monitoring (AQM) and gas leakage events detection. This document is structured in four Chapters organized as follows: Chapter 1 presents the state of the art, an introduction to sensing performance enhancement and transient data extraction methods, as well as an introduction to the implementation of WSN for AQM; Chapter 2 is composed of the two published paper related to the pulsed light modulation methodology for transient information extraction; Chapter 3 presents the published paper related to the implementation of a LoRa-based WSN for AQM; Chapter 4 states the conclusions derived from the results obtained during this thesis project and the recommendations for the future work associated to the continuity of this thesis findings

Monitoring, Visualization and Assessment of Air Pollutant Emissions on Construction Sites

The construction industry is always ranked as one of the largest emission contributors of air pollutants including nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon oxides (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and sulfur oxides (SOx), which accounts for approximate 23% of the global air pollutions each year. These pollutants are detrimental to the ambient air quality and the health and safety of construction practitioners. The high pollutant emission level has attracted the government’s interests to release regulations and initiatives to reduce the air pollutant emissions of construction projects. Also, construction practitioners and researchers are encouraged to mitigate the environmental impacts during the construction process. So far, most of the mitigation efforts have been placed on pre-assessing the environmental impacts of construction activities in the planning stage using emission estimation models. The emission estimation models were developed based on the emission rate analysis of the uninstalled engines in the laboratory environment. Therefore, the estimation models are not able to reflect the real-world emission rates, especially the emission rates of different working modes. In addition, the Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) is employed to monitor the air pollutant emissions of the operating equipment in the construction stage. However, the costly expenses and the particular precautions when using the PEMS to monitor the air pollutant emissions significantly impede the utilization of PEMS. Also, it is impossible to install PEMS to each piece of construction equipment for the air pollutant emission monitoring of the whole construction projects. The main objective of this research is to develop a set of tools to monitor and visualize the air pollutant emission on construction sites in the real-time and automatic manner. Towards this objective, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based system is created with the integration of microcontrollers, microsensors, and high-definition (HD) cameras. Specifically, the system can be employed to: 1) monitor the onsite air pollutant emissions during construction operations in an automatic and real-time manner; 2) dynamically and continuously visualize the air pollutant emission; 3) automatically trigger alarms when the air pollutant emissions violate the standards; and 4) quantitatively assess the potential impacts on ambient air quality and the health of workforces. The system has been tested on real construction sites. The results indicated that the system could assist construction practitioners in the monitoring and visualization of the air pollutants produced from construction operations. Also, the results are able to facilitate decision-making on reducing the air pollutant emissions and promote the sustainability of construction operations

Sistema de monitoreo remoto, inalámbrico y en tiempo real de los niveles de concentración de dos contaminantes atmosféricos definidos en la Norma técnica Nicaragüense de calidad del aire

El resultado de este trabajo monográfico es un sistema de monitoreo de monóxido de carbono y dióxido de nitrógeno que envía inalámbricamente las mediciones de estos gases hacia una interfaz gráfica, donde se puede apreciar en tiempo real la información recibida y también se puede almacenar en una base de datos

Dynamische Erfassung multipler Expositionen gegenüber urbanen Umweltbelastungen

Das weltweite Bevölkerungswachstum und die fortschreitende Verstädterung führen zu einer Zunahme des Stadtverkehrs. Parallel dazu wirkt sich der Klimawandel negativ auf urbane Räume aus. Dadurch treten urbane Umweltbelastungen häufiger, länger und intensiver auf. Konsekutiv verstärken sich die negativen Auswirkungen multipler Umweltbelastungen wie Lärm, Feinstaub und Hitzebelastung auf die Stadtbewohner. Die Beobachtung und Analyse dieser Auswirkungen und die Umsetzung entsprechender Schutz- und Anpassungsmaßnahmen nehmen einen immer größeren Stellenwert in der umweltbezogenen Stadtforschung ein. Eine dafür notwendige Bestimmung der individuellen Exposition gegenüber urbanen Umweltbelastungen wird bisher jedoch vernachlässigt, da derzeitige Methoden auf stationären Messungen oder Modellierungen beruhen. Damit kann keine zufriedenstellende Bewertung einer individuellen Exposition erfolgen, welche durch die alltägliche Mobilität der Stadtbewohner zeitlich und räumlich variiert. Die Erhebung der individuellen Belastung ist jedoch sowohl für kurzfristige Anpassungsmaßnahmen relevant, als auch für langfristige Untersuchungen von umweltbedingten Gesundheitseffekten essentiell. Um dieses Problem zu lösen, wurden jedoch erst in den letzten Jahren empirische Methoden entwickelt. Um zudem das Bewusstsein und die Anpassungsmotivation von exponierten Personen zu verstehen, muss nicht nur die objektive Expositionsintensität bekannt sein, sondern auch die subjektiv wahrgenommene Belastung. Smartphone-basierte Methoden ermöglichen die Integration beider Perspektiven. In dieser Arbeit wird deshalb ein dynamischer Messansatz entwickelt, der anhand einer explorativen Studie mit Fahrradfahrern evaluiert wird. Daraus werden Implikationen für eine geographische Expositionsforschung abgeleitet

Assessment of portable and miniaturized sensors for the monitoring of human exposure to air pollutants

In the last years, several in-field campaigns have been conducted using portable and miniaturized monitors to evaluate the personal exposure to different pollutants. In general, this kind of monitors are characterized by worse metrological performance if compared to the traditional standard methods. Despite this disadvantage, portable and miniaturized monitors could be easily used across different applications, because their advantageous features, such as the capability to provide real-time measurement, the high spatial and temporal resolution of acquired data, the ability to adapt to different experimental designs and, especially, the ability to follow the subject in any activity. Finally, portable and miniaturized instruments can provide data acquired in the respiratory zone of the subject, following therefore the practices for a correct exposure assessment. Obviously, the best compromise between the analytical gold standard (in terms of precision, accuracy and instrumental sensitivity) and the gold standard in regard to the exposure assessment should be chosen. Therefore, in brief, principal aims of this thesis are (i) to evaluate the on-field performances of portable and miniaturized monitors for gaseous pollutants and airborne PM and (ii) to use these monitors in exposure assessment studies and (iii) to understand if data acquired via portable and miniaturized monitors could be useful in other fields of application, such as epidemiological studies or toxicological studies, in which the evaluation of the inhaled dose of pollutants could play a key role