Regional Spatial Variation of PM2.5 in central Mexico
VER-PM2.5
This is a particulate air pollution research initiative that uses low-cost monitors in combination with regulatory-grade equipment. These monitors will be used to create a network for continuous monitoring of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations, with sufficient coverage to describe its spatial distribution in the central region of Mexico.
Low-cost air quality monitors
Low-cost monitors have shown great potential for use in several applications of interest in air quality management and atmospheric composition research. However, their use is not without challenges; measurements suffer from interferences and have uncertainties that are not always easy to quantify. Their concentrations may differ from those obtained with regulatory instruments (Peltier et al., 2021), so when they are used in applications where data quality is important, it is necessary to maintain continuous monitoring of their performance test.
Objectives
- Establish a monitoring network to measure PM2.5 using low-cost monitors.
- Evaluate the performance of low-cost monitors with respect to regulatory-grade instruments used by environmental agencies.
- Develop calibration methods and identify measurement interferences.
- Investigate pollutant transport in central Mexico.
- Assess the impact of urban emissions on rural and surrounding suburban areas.
- Increase the spatial coverage of PM2.5 monitoring in the region.
The YERA-VER monitor
The YERA-VER monitors are non-commercial PM2.5 prototypes developed for this project. Their performance has been evaluated in urban and non-urban environments with different meteorological and environmental characteristics.
The monitors have been installed at ambient level, i.e. above the urban canopy or tree canopy, in order to obtain data representative of an entire neighborhood or district, as with regulatory grade monitors. The intent is to collect data under conditions that are comparable to that collected by air quality monitoring stations operated by environmental agencies.
The YERA-VER monitors take measurements every minute. The data are transmitted and stored in a central repository. Preliminary data will be further reviewed for validation and analysis.
The study area
The monitoring network will cover the region that makes up Mexico City and its metropolitan area, as well as the major surrounding urban areas in the states of Morelos, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Hidalgo.
Real-time measurements are available to the public on a map showing the latest 10-minute moving averages.
Preliminary data will be made available to the public as the project progresses. More detailed information will be provided to researchers also upon request.
Citizen engagement
This project is supported by several citizens who have agreed to install the monitors on the roofs of their homes. In the future, we will seek to work with them, along with students and groups interested in environmental issues, through participatory science activities and projects that contribute to community education, awareness, and participation in air quality issues.
About us
The project is established by a group of researchers in air pollution science and policies interested in finding solutions to the problem of air pollution based on scientific knowledge. Armando Retama developed the monitoring device and initiated this project, joined by Luisa T. Molina and Erik Velasco from the Molina Center for Energy and the Environment (MCE2). The project is supported by Miguel Sanchez, Jaime A. Contreras, Juan Manuel Arriaga, Marco A. Mora (Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas-BUAP), and a group of citizens who installed and hosted the YERA-VER monitors. The Sistema de Monitoreo Atmosférico de la Ciudad de México (SIMAT) also hosts some of the monitors.
Contact us
If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact us.