Air Quality Sensor Testing & Deployment
Leads
Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS)
Sponsors
Mayor Ted Wheeler
Lower-cost air quality sensors are being explored as a tool to provide more information about localized air quality. Air pollution is not uniform across Portland communities and traditional ambient air quality monitoring at high spatial resolutions is difficult due to cost, time, and space constraints.
Current sensor technology is limited for measuring the pollution levels found in U.S. cities. This project uses a variety of co-located sensor deployments to address these limitations and understand the uses of air quality sensor data. Can sensors be used for pre and post assessments of construction or changes to the roadway environment? Can we compare relative differences in air pollution between locations? Can we use sensor data to improve models or help identify where more traditional monitoring methods should be directed?
Sensor testing and deployment are supported by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Other collaborative partners include Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), Portland State University (PSU), Green Electronics Council (GEC), and the sensor providers: Apis (SensorCell Nodes), SenSevere (RAMPs), and Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago (Array of Things Nodes).
Resources
Recommendations for the Development & Implementation of Distributed Sensor Networks
Smart City PDX and Familias en Acción teamed up to deliver an interactive workshop on actions to prepare for wildfire emergencies and smoke impacts. This included how to find reliable, accessible information and resources about air quality and emergency preparedness in Spanish.