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Unexpected Performance Improvements of Nitrogen Dioxide and Ozone Sensors by Including Carbon Monoxide Sensor Signal
Low-cost air quality
(LCAQ) sensors are increasingly being used
for community air quality monitoring. However, data collected by low-cost
sensors contain significant noise, and proper calibration of these
sensors remains a widely discussed, but not yet fully addressed, area
of concern. In this study, several LCAQ sensors measuring nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) were deployed in
six cities in the United States (Atlanta, GA; New York City, NY; Sacramento,
CA; Riverside, CA; Portland, OR; Phoenix, AZ) to evaluate the impacts
of different climatic and geographical conditions on their performance
and calibration. Three calibration methods were applied, including
regression via linear and polynomial models and random forest methods.
When signals from carbon monoxide (CO) sensors were included in the
calibration models for NO2 and O3 sensors, model
performance generally increased, with pronounced improvements in selected
cities such as Riverside and New York City. Such improvements may
be due to (1) temporal co-variation between concentrations of CO and
NO2 and/or between CO and O3; (2) different
performance levels of low-cost CO, NO2, and O3 sensors; and (3) different impacts of environmental conditions on
sensor performance. The results showed an innovative approach for
improving the calibration of NO2 and O3 sensors
by including CO sensor signals into the calibration models. Community
users of LCAQ sensors may be able to apply these findings further
to enhance the data quality of their deployed NO2 and O3 monitors
Patterns of Stove Usage after Introduction of an Advanced Cookstove: The Long-Term Application of Household Sensors
Household
air pollution generated from solid fuel use for cooking
is one of the leading risk factors for ill-health globally. Deployment
of advanced cookstoves to reduce emissions has been a major focus
of intervention efforts. However, household usage of these stoves
and resulting changes in usage of traditional polluting stoves is
not well characterized. In Palwal District, Haryana, India, we carried
out an intervention utilizing the Philips HD4012 fan-assisted stove,
one of the cleanest biomass stoves available. We placed small, unobtrusive
data-logging iButton thermometers on both the traditional and Philips
stoves to collect continuous data on use patterns in 200 homes over
60 weeks. Intervention stove usage declined steadily over time and
stabilized after approximately 200 days; use of the traditional stove
remained relatively constant. We additionally evaluated how well short-duration
usage measures predicted long-term use. Measuring usage over time
of both traditional and intervention stoves provides better understanding
of cooking behaviors and can lead to more precise quantification of
potential exposure reductions and consequent health benefits attributable
to interventions
Use of Temperature Sensors to Determine Exclusivity of Improved Stove Use and Associated Household Air Pollution Reductions in Kenya
Household air pollution (HAP) contributes
to 3.5–4 million
annual deaths globally. Recent interventions using improved cookstoves
(ICS) to reduce HAP have incorporated temperature sensors as stove
use monitors (SUMs) to assess stove use. We deployed SUMs in an effectiveness
study of 6 ICSs in 45 Kenyan rural homes. Stove were installed sequentially
for 2 weeks and kitchen air monitoring was conducted for 48 h during
each 2-week period. We placed SUMs on the ICSs and traditional cookstoves
(TCS), and the continuous temperature data were analyzed using an
algorithm to examine the number of cooking events, days of exclusive
use of ICS, and how stove use patterns affect HAP. Stacking, defined
as using both a TCS and an ICS in the same day, occurred on 40% of
the study days, and exclusive use of the ICS occurred on 25% of study
days. When researchers were not present, ICS use declined, which can
have implications for long-term stove adoption in these communities.
Continued use of TCSs was also associated with higher HAP levels.
SUMs are a valuable tool for characterizing stove use and provide
additional information to interpret HAP levels measured during ICS
intervention studies