URBAN AIR POLLUTION MONITORING IN SMART CITY

Problem

Urban population (% of total population) in Canada was reported at 81.56 % in 2020, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. The Canadian government estimate that every year in Canada, air pollution is linked to:

• 15,300 premature deaths
• 2.7 million asthma symptom days
• 35 million acute respiratory symptom days
• We estimate the socio-economic costs of the health impacts of air pollution in Canada at $120B per year (based on 2016 currency).
• Their analysis uses the best available health and air quality data for Canada. (Source: https://www.canada.ca/)

Hence, the expansion of cities has led to an increase in automobiles, industrial production, and rapid deforestation. Consequently, air pollution and environmental deterioration have reached an alarming stage. One of the fundamental features of smart cities is providing a sustainable environment. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have made it quintessential to monitor the environmental parameters. The major problem in environmental monitoring is real-time data acquisition through durable and accurate monitoring equipment. Hence, Compact Air Quality Monitoring Sensors play an important role in Environmental Monitoring for Smart cities.

DOCTORS CALL FOR A NATIONAL CLEAN AIR STRATEGY

The Quebec Association of Environmental Doctors (AQME) has raised concerns about air pollution in Quebec, stating that despite significant progress over the past two decades, air quality issues persist. Highlighting key figures, AQME reports that air pollution in Quebec is linked to 4,000 premature deaths annually with healthcare costs estimated at $30 billion. The organization emphasizes the underestimated impact of air pollution on health, listing conditions such as asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders in children, early dementia, and cardiovascular diseases among adults.

AQME advocates for the Quebec government to update the toxicity thresholds for certain air pollutants, following the World Health Organization's 2021 revised air quality guidelines. Specifically, AQME points out the dangers of fine particles (PM2.5), which due to their small size, can penetrate respiratory pathways and circulate in the bloodstream, posing significant health risks. The current daily average limit in Quebec is 30 µg/m3, double the WHO's recommended maximum of 15 µg/m3. AQME's call to action includes a push for real-time public access to pollutant levels and the establishment of a public environmental information registry to enhance transparency and inform community responses to air quality issues. (https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/environnement/2024-02-06/des-medecins-demandent-une-strategie-nationale-pour-un-air-pur.php)

CONCEPT

For Smart cities, it is necessary to monitor the environmental conditions for identifying the sources of pollution and mitigate them. So, a network of low-cost air quality monitoring sensor nodes can be deployed to monitor air quality and meteorological parameters. Hence, through pollution source detection, the city can take corrective measures and improve its environmental health. By installing disaster detection systems like floods and rainfall monitoring solutions in your surrounding. the citizens can be alerted beforehand

Target Paremeters

Proposed Solutions

The Bettair® Platform, equipped with the state-of-the-art Bettair Node, sets a new benchmark in air quality monitoring for urban landscapes, positioning itself as a key player in the quest for the best air quality monitoring solutions. This sophisticated platform is engineered for smart cities striving to map air pollution with unparalleled precision, deploying a network of Bettair Nodes across urban fixtures to capture a broad spectrum of air quality indicators, including NO2, NO, CO, O3, SO2, H2S, CO2, PM10, PM2.5, and PM1.0, as well as ambient noise levels. It employs cutting-edge connectivity, including 3G/4G/5G, NB-IoT, and LoRaWAN, facilitating the seamless transmission of critical, real-time environmental data.

The platform's excellence in the field of air quality monitoring has been internationally recognized, most notably with its triumph in the AIRLAB Microsensors Challenge 2023, where it was awarded for Air Quality Monitoring and received the title of "Most Accurate Multi-Pollutant Sensor." These prestigious accolades highlight the Bettair® Platform's superior performance, driven by an innovative post-processing algorithm that utilizes unsupervised machine learning techniques to refine sensor data, achieving remarkable accuracy with a Pearson Correlation exceeding 90%. This achievement not only cements Bettair's dominance in air monitoring technology but also underscores its dedication to equipping municipalities with advanced tools to analyze and mitigate air pollution, ensuring healthier urban environments.

Applications

The Bettair® Platform, with its innovative Bettair Node, has become a cornerstone in air quality monitoring across Europe, especially in Spain, where its implementation spans a diverse array of urban and industrial settings. Cities like Barcelona, Rome, Malaga, and Zurich along with ports such as Tarragona, Valencia, and Sagunto, have adopted this technology to gather precise air quality data. This wide adoption underscores the system's versatility and capability to meet varied environmental monitoring needs beyond just urban centers.

Indeed, the Bettair® Platform's flexibility allows it to cater to a broad spectrum of applications, including cities, ports, airports, and industrial zones. This adaptability is crucial for comprehensive environmental monitoring, offering stakeholders valuable insights into air pollution levels across different scenarios. By providing accurate, real-time data, the Bettair® technology supports targeted actions to mitigate pollution and protect public health, showcasing its pivotal role in environmental sustainability efforts across Europe.