Calibration and Field Testing of a PM2.5 Monitoring Station Utilizing an Electrostatic Sensor with Real-time, Continuous Online Reporting
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Abstract
This research aims to calibrate and field-test a PM2.5 dust measurement station that operates using an electrostatic sensor. The system is capable of measuring, recording, and displaying data online through a web browser. The developed prototype utilizes locally sourced materials and equipment, replacing imported components. The system can measure and collect dust samples within a range of 0.1 to 5,000 µg/m³, with a processing time of less than 1 second. It is capable of continuous operation for up to 3,000 hours without maintenance or component replacement. The study focused on calibrating dust mass concentration measurements. The measurements were validated against a standard PM2.5 monitor using the Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) Group 3, as specified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 40 CFR Part 50, under laboratory conditions. Field tests were also performed under real-world conditions in Nakhon Phanom Province. The results from both laboratory and field tests showed that the measured dust concentration trends were consistent and comparable to those obtained using the standard method (40 CFR Part 50, U.S. EPA). Additionally, the system is capable of continuously reporting real-time data via the MQTT protocol, with data accurately stored in a time-series database (TSDB) without loss. The system enables rapid querying and retrieval of historical data, and the dashboard loads data from the TSDB in less than 1 second, demonstrating its efficiency in data processing and visualization.
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