Air Aware IoT: Low-Cost Sensor Solutions for Urban Pollution Monitoring and Public Health

Abstract

Air pollution, especially in cities, has a considerable impact on human health, contributing to global morbidity and mortality rates. With urban populations increasing and public awareness of air quality being low, there is an urgent need for low-cost, portable devices to monitor airborne contaminants in indoor and outdoor settings. This work shows the design and functionality of a low-cost, portable device capable of measuring major air quality parameters, such as gaseous pollutants (CO₂, O₃, TVOC, and PM₂.₅) and physical indicators (temperature and humidity). The device connects various sensors to an ATmega microcontroller via a signal conditioning circuit, solving current, format, and speed incompatibilities. Data processed by the microcontroller is sent to various devices using IoT technology. The device accurately measures ozone, PM₂.₅, temperature, and humidity with precisions of ±5.02 μg/m³, ±7.94 μg/m³, ±0.67°C, and ±1.68%, respectively. The results demonstrate the system's dependability in air quality monitoring, providing an affordable and accessible alternative for environmental surveillance. This innovation has the potential to raise public awareness and enable large-scale pollution monitoring activities, making it a useful tool for minimizing the negative consequences of air pollution on public health.