Bell MC

Galatioto F

Hill G

Hodges N

Neasham J

The work presented in this paper describes a new approach, being developed at Newcastle University (UK), which is designed to evaluate the accuracy of air quality predictions in urban environments – typically characterized by a combination of primary, secondary and residential roads. The assessment of the model prediction performance will be based on a combination of data captured from a new generation of low cost pervasive sensors, namely motes (measuring noise and air pollution), and legacy systems including SCOOT (Split Cycle Offset Optimisation Technique), traffic loop detectors, AURN (Automatic Urban and Rural Network) and meteorological conditions. The prototype pervasive monitoring sensor, and enhancements made to overcome limitations in developing the commercial sensor are described. The proposed framework for integration of mote with legacy system data is evaluated using a case study area in Leicester (UK) where a validation of the congestion sensitive emissions algorithm was carried out. The results clearly demonstrate systematically higher levels of pollution on football match days and fairly good agreement of the estimated and measured CO levels are evident. The relationships between roadside mote measurements with those levels measured at an AURN background site in Newcastle are presented and show that whilst typically a third of the variation in the roadside pollutant levels can be explained by the background, local micro-environments are substantially governed by the local traffic and pedestrian activity (disrupting traffic flows). Preliminary results of the noise measurements in the most recent mote deployment in an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) in Medway (UK) demonstrate that noise levels for the quiet flow regime are systematically lower than the other three, with some evidence that the congested period is not associated with the highest noise levels which seem to rest often with the unstable, but sometimes with the smooth flow. Finally the proposed mote deployment in two AQMA in Liverpool to evaluate the accuracy of motes by collocation with precision monitoring systems and passive sampling systems and to demonstrate the value of motes in managing traffic related air quality will be described

Application of low cost pervasive monitoring to validate models and assess performance of ITS technology implemented to improve the environment

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