On the Development of a PM2.5 Monitoring Network for Real-time Measurements in Urban Environments

Abstract

A monitoring network system was designed and developed to be deployed in two Romanian cities during the ROkidAIR project for measuring in real time the PM2.5 concentrations. The system comprises 8 stations that were built following the successful design and testing of a PM2.5 optical instrument prototype. The System�s Web services, the data acquisition from the monitoring stations, and the data sending to a GIS-integrated geoportal that includes a decision support system, were firstly evaluated for testing their effectiveness and for eventually defining necessary corrections. After describing the station�s structure and the Web services� main functions, the paper presents data about the most important measured operating parameters of the stations, results from data processing, and conclusions for further developments. Preliminary information collected from a reference gravimetric sampler installed for data inter-comparison with the developed stations is also presented.