Measuring Air Quality for Advocacy in Africa (MA3): Feasibility and Practicality of Longitudinal Ambient PM 2.5 Measurement Using Low-Cost Sensors

Babatunde I. Awokola, Gabriel Okello, Kevin J. Mortimer, Christopher P. Jewell, Annette Erhart and Sean Semple
Additional contact information
Babatunde I. Awokola: Centre for Health Informatics, Computing & Statistics (CHICAS), Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
Gabriel Okello: Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, 2 Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 1QA, UK
Kevin J. Mortimer: Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool L3 5QA, UK
Christopher P. Jewell: Centre for Health Informatics, Computing & Statistics (CHICAS), Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
Annette Erhart: Disease Control & Elimination Theme, Medical Research Council Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, P.O. Box 273 Banjul, Gambia
Sean Semple: Institute for Social Marketing and Health, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Ambient air pollution in urban cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is an important public health problem with models and limited monitoring data indicating high concentrations of pollutants such as fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ). On most global air quality index maps, however, information about ambient pollution from SSA is scarce. We evaluated the feasibility and practicality of longitudinal measurements of ambient PM 2.5 using low-cost air quality sensors (Purple Air-II-SD) across thirteen locations in seven countries in SSA. Devices were used to gather data over a 30-day period with the aim of assessing the efficiency of its data recovery rate and identifying challenges experienced by users in each location. The median data recovery rate was 94% (range: 72% to 100%). The mean 24 h concentration measured across all sites was 38 µg/m 3 with the highest PM 2.5 period average concentration of 91 µg/m 3 measured in Kampala, Uganda and lowest concentrations of 15 µg/m 3 measured in Faraja, The Gambia. Kampala in Uganda and Nnewi in Nigeria recorded the longest periods with concentrations >250 µg/m 3 . Power outages, SD memory card issues, internet connectivity problems and device safety concerns were important challenges experienced when using Purple Air-II-SD sensors. Despite some operational challenges, this study demonstrated that it is reasonably practicable and feasible to establish a network of low-cost devices to provide data on local PM 2.5 concentrations in SSA countries. Such data are crucially needed to raise public, societal and policymaker awareness about air pollution across SSA.

Keywords: PM 2.5 monitor; ambient air pollution; measurement sensor; low-cost; feasibility; sub-Saharan Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7243/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7243/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7243-:d:423527

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().