Step-by-step guide

How to design
an air quality
project?

Considerations to ensure the

best fit for a project needs.
 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

Table of contents

01 Outdoor air quality systems 06 Monitoring networks

02 Quality of the data 07 Analysis tools

03 Uses and objectives 08 Management services

04 Main sectors 09 Consultancy services

05 Target pollutants 10 Selection of the solution

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

01 Outdoor air quality systems

It is necessary to know the different types of devices existing for indoor and outdoor applications.
On the market we can find:

1 Reference & Equivalence air quality stations

Offical reference stations

2
Comparison between the
EU – Air Quality Directive
Sensor-based air quality stations for indicative measurements and the Technical
Specification developed
in the CEN/TC 264/WG42.
Complementary measurements Class 1 Indicative measurements

3
are equivalent to Class 1
set by the Technical
Sensor-based air quality stations for objective estimations Specification for air
quality sensor systems.
Hotspots identification Class 2

4 Additional class: other devices for personal exposure

Air quality education and information of Class 3

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

02 Quality of the data

Air quality reference stations provide accurate data but have high installation and maintenance costs with a
relatively low spatial resolution, which cannot reproduce the variability of air pollutant concentrations over large
areas.

It is possible to monitor air quality with other types of instruments, but it is necessary to analyse how these ensure a
good performance and the quality of the data to be provided.

Data of poor or unknown quality is less useful than no

data since it can lead to wrong decisions.
Snyder et al., 2013

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

How do we know who is providing reliable data?

Technical specifications and independent evaluations:

CEN 17660-1:2021 US EPA INERIS AQ-SPEC AIRLAB MCERTS

(EU) (USA) (France) (USA) (France-Thailand) (UK)

Gases: performance O NO Gases Gases Indicative

3 2
evaluation of air quality PM PM Particles Particles ambient
2.5 2.5
sensor systems - Part 1: particulate
gaseous pollutants in certification
ambient air
Particles

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

03 Uses and objectives

The main applications of air quality monitoring networks are aimed at:

Monitor Raise awareness Validate

Design a solution to ensure Conduct environmental awareness Validate programmes to improve air
homogeneous air quality sampling and education campaigns quality and ensure people's health

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

04 Main sectors
Each sector has different needs and objectives.
Among some sectors requiring accurate information on air pollution and air quality are:

Urban Industry and Ports and Works and Mines and Research and
areas odours airports demolitions quarries consultancy
Monitoring of air Environmental Air quality Environmental Mining operations Accurate and
quality and monitoring in monitoring monitoring of monitoring to useful
emission industrial networks in construction extract resources measurements
sources in urban perimeters and terminal ports and and demolition sustainably. for scientific
areas. hot spots. airports. sites. studies.

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

05 Target pollutants per application

It is very important to be clear about which pollutants need to be measured depending on the type of activity.

The main pollutants that have a direct effect on air quality are:

Cities Industry Ports / airports

CO CO2 NO NO2 O3 CO NO NO2 H2S SO2 CO NO NO2 O3

H2S SO2 NH3 PM NH3 VOC HCl PM SO2 VOC PM

Mines Construction Research

PM CO NO NO2 PM CO NO NO2 CO CO2 NO NO2 O3 H2S

O3 SO2 HCl O3 SO2 SO2 NH3 VOC HCl PM

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

06 Monitoring networks

Number and types of devices

When designing an air quality project, it is necessary to know both the type and the number of devices needed:
Mobile or stationary devices and whether these require additional probes such as wind, noise, rain sensors, etc.

MACRO-IMPLANTATION MICRO-IMPLANTATION
Define the area to be covered by the sensor Define the exact locations for each station so
network to obtain a complete picture of that they are able to obtain accurate samples
pollution and emission sources. and are not affected by external factors.

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

07 Analysis tools
Once the sensor network is deployed, appropriate software must be in place to:

Manage QC & QA
Remote management of the A tool for quality control and quality
network and the devices. assurance.

Analyse Report
Multiparametric analysis of the Data validation and reporting.
collected data.

Reminder: it is important to have air quality management tools that allow us to accurately identify the pollution sources, calibrate sensors,
validate data and monitor the status of the network easily.
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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

08 Management services
Maintaining the air quality network for optimal operation can be one of the most challenging tasks.

That is why some additional services should be required. Those are the most demanded:

Remote operation of the network

Remote sensor calibration

Field maintenance tasks

Data validation and analysis

Automatic reporting

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

09 Consultancy services
It is also important to know what other services we may need and that the supplier company can offer us, such as:

Designing Implementation
Design of the monitoring network to Support in the deployment and
obtain accurate data. implementation of the network.

Advising Training
Technical guidance by qualified Specialised training sessions for proper
personnel. maintenance of the network.

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

10 Selection of the solution

1 Select key pollutants for your project

2 Define the most appropriate network size (number and type of devices)

3 Select the instrument that provides the quality of data you need

4 Provision of budget for network maintenance and data quality assurance

5 Use the right tool that allows you to make a correct exploitation of the data

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 Step-by-step guide: How to design an air quality project

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