## Choosing Sensors Often the first step is to look for a sensor for what you're hoping to measure. In the community posts below, we're collecting info on different kinds of air quality sensors, and their: * cost * sensitivity/accuracy * links and documentation Can you afford a sensor? Can it detect what you're looking for? Where can you learn more about it? ### Posts about choosing and evaluating an air sensor [notes:grid:air-sensor-eval] ### Expected ranges and useful detection limits for pollutants of interest This [table](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/air_sensors_webinar_slides_06-29-16.pdf) from an EPA [Air Quality Monitoring and Community Science webinar](https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-06/documents/air_sensors_webinar_slides_06-29-16.pdf) lists the six criteria air pollutants and a couple additional pollutants, with background levels you might see in the environment in the “Range to Expect” column and useful detection limits for sensors. **** ## Wikis about air sensors [wikis:air-sensors] ## Air sensor projects Public Lab pages and posts tagged `air-sensor-projects` will appear here [nodes:air-sensor-projects] ## Questions [questions:air-sensors] ## Further reading and resources + Environmental consultant Tim Dye’s “[4 questions to ask before buying an air quality sensor](http://tdenviro.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/4-questions-when-buying-air-sensors.pdf)” neatly summarizes what to consider when choosing an air sensor. + [Snuffle.org](http://www.snuffle.org/): lots of information on low-cost sensors for various air pollutants. + [Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC)](http://www.aqmd.gov/aq-spec/evaluations): from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, this program tests and evaluates air sensors “in the field, under ambient conditions, and in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions.” + [Air Sensor Toolbox](https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox): from the US Environmental Protection Agency, this toolbox includes guidance on how to use air sensors and their data, plus information on sensor performance and evaluation results. ...
| Author | Comment | Last activity | Moderation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| willie | "Silica monitoring is definitely a use case especially where a point source (concrete aggregate plant?) is already identified. I also think that a c..." | Read more » | over 10 years ago | |||
| warren | "Awesome. I'm thinking about whether this could be used for silica monitoring... looks like this can detect PM2.5 and PM10, and those are in the ran..." | Read more » | over 10 years ago | |||
| warren | "Willie just posted a followup about a field-test of the optical sensor component: http://publiclab.org/notes/Willie/04-01-2014/field-testing-the-sh..." | Read more » | over 10 years ago | |||
| mathew | "Thanks for finding this, Willie! really cool. " | Read more » | over 10 years ago | |||
| willie | "Cool Scott. I just bought 20 for the first batch of DustDuino being put together by Matt. We'll be testing these out over the summer so there is ce..." | Read more » | over 10 years ago | |||
| eustatic | "thanks! watching this closely, i've purchased a few of these already. s " | Read more » | over 10 years ago | |||
| Schroyer | "Hi eustatic, The particulates sensor being used for the DustDuino could not identify the composition of the particulate matter, but indeed could b..." | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| eustatic | "Anyway, Jeff I was thinking of using this as a possible screening tool with the ongoing PM sampling that we are doing in Plaquemines, in prepara..." | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| eustatic | "Aidan, I think the github link is in this writeup? I dunno, i'm a biologist, i don't speak github well. Schroyer, that is cool. Bogalusa? or som..." | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| Aidan | "Awesome! Is this on github? " | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| Schroyer | "Warren and Aidan, you might be happy to know I've been developing a slimmed down board that will cut cost and energy consumption. Also looking at S..." | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| Aidan | "I agree that the cost should be cut. It is prohibiting me from replicating this at the moment. Warren, can you post how to use those alternatives? " | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| warren | "Yes - you could make a page at http://publiclab.org/wiki/dustduino and tag that? I'm curious about two things - would this be appropriate for dete..." | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| Aidan | "I think this actually needs to be a wiki page for the tools tag to work. I could be wrong, though. " | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| Schroyer | "eustatic - Wow, that's quite a dust-up! Interesting that you mention Plaquemines, as I have in-laws in Louisiana. One lives not far from a large pa..." | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| eustatic | "could defintely use this in plaquemines parish picture of coal terminal pollution --check the one person's headlights " | Read more » | almost 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "I promise to shop smart and recycle. As i do my promises I will think of how better am making the world , and making people live longer. " | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | " I PROMISE.... 1)To tell others about methane 2)And to by more organic foods which i do but to know they are from farms and not factories were they..." | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "i promise to try to get people to ride bycicycles i promise to ride my bicycle aleasete 2 a week " | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "I promise to ride bikes and walk more often and tell my parents to drive less I promise only to use furnaces and air conditioners when I need it, I..." | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "I promise to talk to my parents about air quality Also to shop smart and to star eating less meat I will also check information about the camp when..." | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "I promise to tell my community to protect the air quality I promise to tell family members to walk,ride a bike or to buy a hybrid car I promise to ..." | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "I promise I will start using my dirt bike less because it runs of a gallon of gasoline and that is a lot of gas.Also I will convince my parents to ..." | Read more » | over 11 years ago | |||
| msmelody | "I promise to start walking to places and biking places, to recycle, and to not liter-by Jayson I promise to not liter on the floor also i will no..." | Read more » | over 11 years ago |