Is Ettlingen in Germany a blue sky city? Yes, since the city makes use of Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors to measure at different locations the ambient air quality. The easy-to-install units from Palas® can be found at the city train station as well as the gas station. In this pilot project, the Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality will collect real-time particulate matter data from different areas of the city. Then, the devices will transmit the data to Palas GmbH’s cloud-based environmental measurement system “MyAtmosphere”. The data will be available on the municipal homepage. With the help of the Palas® devices, Ettlingen expects to advance the process of air quality visualization and create a blue-sky smart city for its residents.
Underestimated effects of air pollution
In Europe, air pollution is becoming more serious over recent years. Data from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 96% of the urban population was exposed to particulate matter concentrations above the new WHO guideline value of 5 µg/m³ (PM2.5) in 2021. However, as Henrik Hof, product manager of Palas GmbH says, air pollution is unfortunately not taken seriously enough yet despite having a great impact on people and the environment. According to the WHO, more than seven million people die from air pollution every year. The effects of air pollution on health deserve people’s attention.
The city of Ettlingen, located near the southwestern border of Germany, is recently drawing residents’ attention through a pilot program for air quality monitoring. The Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality have been installed at the city train station and the gas station of Seehof. They can also be found on the tower of Ettlingen’s city hall and the roof of Ettlingen’s public utility company. In addition to the PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter values, the Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality also display temperature and humidity. The pollutant gases SO2, CO and O3 at high-traffic locations can also be measured by the Palas® devices. More Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality are to follow in other areas of the city. People can learn about the air quality around them with the help of the Palas® devices and obtain a clear picture of possible health risks.
Locations of Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality
Palas® devices for visualization of smart city
The City of Ettlingen has been working hard to transform it into a blue-sky smart city. The stable measurements of the Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality helpfully further the visualization of the city’s air quality. Mayor Johannes Arnold says: “We are pleased that we were able to install these devices in Ettlingen together with the company Palas and we are excited about the long-term evaluations. ” Andreas Kraut, who is responsible for installation, adds: “It is exciting to observe how the air quality changes over the course of the day – depending on the traffic situation, time of year, weather situation, temperature, etc. ”
The Palas® AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality transmit data to MyAtmosphere, Palas GmbH’s cloud-based environmental measurement system. And the city of Ettlingen can update the real-time PM2.5 concentrations and air quality levels at the city’s different locations on its municipal website, please click here to view the air quality situation in Ettlingen.
Air quality situation of Ettlingen on January 11
As shown in the graph above, the air quality situation in Ettlingen was relatively good at 9:28 a.m. on January 11. For example, the PM2.5 concentration around the train station is 0.9 µg/m³, and 1.6 µg/m³ around the gas station of Seehof. The optical particle analysis used by the Palas® devices can determine the particulate matter values immediately without post-evaluation and correction, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. People can view stable values throughout the day and take appropriate protective measures accordingly.
In addition, Palas® is testing the integration of the AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitors for Ambient Air Quality into the city’s existing, area-wide LoRaWAN network (Long Range Wide Area Network). Therefore, the residents can get convenient access to the city’s air quality situation. Palas® will also help Ettlingen build a digital and transparent smart city in further steps.
Reliable Palas® monitors
Palas® stable air quality monitors provide reliable, continuous and flexible measurements of particle concentration and distribution. They are able to identify the causes of particle pollution and predict its dispersion. Palas® devices can be used for mobile walk-away monitoring, particle emission dispersion studies and monitoring of safe working conditions. In addition, they are also helpful in monitoring the air quality both temporarily or in a long-term at roadside locations, construction sites or industrial plants to help people face a variety of air pollution challenges.
AQ Guard Smart Grid Monitor for Ambient Air Quality
Optional data cloud platform, plug and play, real-time viewing of hotspot data:
AQ Guard Smart is a robust aerosol spectrometer for ambient air. It uses the measurement principle of optical scattered light measurement on single particles based on the technology of the EN 16450 certified Fidas® 200. It can be upgraded with a gas sensor package (SO2, CO, NO2, O3) and thus offers optimal options for evaluating the air quality. AQ Guard Smart can be operated over longer periods without recalibration. Deviations in the particle size determination and, therefore drifts of the PM values, are determined by a specific analysis of the particle size distribution and displayed and reported when a tolerance threshold is exceeded as part of the self-monitoring. AQ Guard Smart transmits measurement data via Palas® MyAtmosphere and when operating alone, the system can be operated by an external battery with or without solar support.
Advantages
· Technology based on the certified Fidas® 200 series (EN16450 and MCERTS), easy and fast installation
· Configuration via Wi-Fi hotspot, remote, external touchpad
· Communication via GPRS / 3G / 4G / Ethernet / Wi-Fi
· Expandable with weather station / external battery / solar
· Simultaneous measurement of Cn, PM1, PM5, PM4, PM10 with high temporal resolution
· Particle measurement range from 0.175 – 20,000 nm up to 100 mg/m³ mass concentration or 20,000 particle/cm³ (single particle analysis)
· Continuous and simultaneous real-time measurement in second-by-second resolution
· Visualization of the measured data in real time and their course
· Data and parameters can be subsequently evaluated with Palas® PDAnalyze software
· Real-time transfer of measured data without post-processing or adjustment
Applications
· Industry:
– Production processes
– Bulk material handling (mixing, discharge, storage, packaging, etc.)
– Fence line Monitoring
· Construction sites: roads, railroads, demolition sites
· Buildings: schools, kindergartens, hospitals, hotels, offices, public service buildings
· Residential buildings near construction sites or other polluted areas
· Public transportation: airports, train stations, tramway & underground stations, cruise ships, passenger cabin, e.g. in tram, train
Palas® will arrange a series of online webinars both in English and Chinese for Ambient air quality continuous monitoring system, SMPS scanning mobility particle size spectrometer, Promo® aerosol spectrometer, Aerosol generator and Dilution system, ISO 16890 filter media test rig-MFP 3000 G, ISO 29463-3 HEPA/ULPA filter media test rig-MFP Nano plus 4000, ISO 17536 oil mist separator filtration performance test rig-HMT 1000, as well as many other aerosol measurement solutions. You are welcome to register for the conference and will be informed of the webinar information as soon as possible!
Click here to register now