Applicability of factory calibrated optical particle counters for high-density air quality monitoring networks in Ghana

C Gameli Hodoli; F Coulon; M I Mead

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04206

Applicability of factory calibrated optical particle counters for high-density air quality monitoring networks in Ghana

Heliyon. 2020 Jun 16;6(6):e04206. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04206. eCollection 2020 Jun.

Authors

C Gameli Hodoli¹, F Coulon¹, M I Mead¹

Affiliation

¹ Cranfield University, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK.

Abstract

In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of using miniaturised optical particle counters (OPCs) for understanding AQ in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, the potential use of OPCs for high-density ground-based air pollution networks and the use of derived data for quantification of atmospheric emissions were investigated. Correlation and trend analysis for particulate matters (PM), including PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁ were undertaken on hourly basis alongside modelled meteorological parameters. Hourly averaged PM values were 500 μg/m³, 90 μg/m³ and 60 μg/m³ for PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and PM₁, respectively and Pearson's correlation coefficient ranged between 0.97 and 0.98. These levels are in the agreement with range of PM emission reported for these types of environmental settings. PM was locally associated with low wind speeds (<= 2 ms^-1) and was closely linked to anthropogenic activities. This study provides a benchmark for future AQ and demonstrates the feasibility of the current generation of OPCs for AQ monitoring in environments typical of large parts of West and Sub Saharan Africa.

Keywords: Air pollution; Air quality monitoring; Atmospheric science; Earth sciences; Environmental science; Geography; Ghana; Low-cost sensors; Sub-saharan Africa.