Harvard School of Public Health

Expertise: Air QualityIndustry: Academic

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Sensor node map

CHANGE along with collaborators, developed a data collection and synthesis system that can remotely combine real-time air pollution and GPS data from multiple sensors into a high-quality and analysis-ready data set. In addition, aided in implementing multiple monitoring protocols using different forms of mobile monitoring (using vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians) as well as fixed-site monitoring on the CitySense platform, using community input to help select sites, design protocols, and collect measurements. CHANGE also developed regression models predicting measured concentrations of multiple pollutants as a function of real-time meteorology and source characterization potentially available across the entire city. Direct consulting included also comparing protocols from the perspective of statistical robustness, spatiotemporal coverage, reliability, long-term sustainability, and ability to expand to additional traffic-related air pollutants, in order to develop an approach that could be used in future large-scale health studies. As part of this research, CHANGE, trained and provided written instrumentation standard operating procedure, training, protocols, quality assurance measures, and statistical support for data cleaning and analysis. Other major activities based on experience and expertise was esigned and implemented several ambient fixed site monitoring stations that measured several different meteorological and pollutant species for continuous measurements.

CHANGE directly aided in the development of several statistical analysis programs and data record keeping for a large scale air quality study. This involved maintaining and updating all laboratory, ambient, indoor, and personal air quality monitoring protocols and chain of custody sheets for samples. CHANGE also designed and trained all foreign staff to learn how to utilize and setup several fixed site locations in several locations in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This also included best practices in accordance with standard US EPA guidance for maintaining and monitoring instrument operation through testing and conducting in field calibration and quality control measures. CHANGE also wrote and implemented several different standard operating procedures for the use of various air quality instruments. In addition, training included accessing US based databases for assessing air quality trends (e.g., National Air Toxics Trend Stations (NATTS), Speciation Trends Network (STN).

The special study was to conduct several weeks of mobile monitoring assessment of near roadway, ultrafine particle concentrations at several locations throughout the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, MA, USA. As a result of the commencement of a large scale construction and demolition project, monitoring of combustion related to ultrafine particles near the site and surrounding roadways would provide preliminary data for comparison. This research project also was to inform the best locations for implementing several fixed site locations in the vicinity of the Longwood Medical area for continuous monitoring or ambient and mobile air pollution sources. Collected data was used for providing insight for designing future studies and health effect assessment.