New Calibration System for Low-Cost Suspended Particulate Matter Sensors with Controlled Air Speed, Temperature and Humidity

Abstract

This paper presents a calibration system for low-cost suspended particulate matter (PM) sensors, consisting of reference instruments, enclosed space in a metal pipe (volume 0.145 m3), a duct fan, a controller and automated control software. The described system is capable of generating stable and repeatable concentrations of suspended PM in the air duct. In this paper, as the final result, we presented the process and effects of calibration of two low-cost air pollution stations—university measuring stations (UMS)—developed and used in the scientific project known as Storm&DustNet, implemented at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków (Poland), for the concentration range of PM from a few up to 240 µg·m–3. Finally, we postulate that a device of this type should be available for every system composed of a large number of low-cost PM sensors.