I’ll have to make a choice of what gasses I want to measure. The government measures the following gasses at different locations in the Netherlands:
- SO2 Sulfur dioxide
- PM10 Particulate matter (PM) or fine particles
- NH3 Ammonia
- CO Carbon monoxide
- O3 Ozone
- NO
- NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide
My choice will depend on the availability of the sensors, ease of work in connection with the Arduino.
I’ve found where they sell the AppliedSensor NO2 and CO sensors. Not too expensive, around 30 euro’s each: http://www.conrad.nl/goto.php?artikel=502242, I’ve ordered them already.
I’m also going to use a temperature sensor, the National Semiconductors PROG.TEMP.SENS.MET I2C INTERFA. It’s nice data to have and it might be necessary for the correct interpretation of the pollution sensors.
I’ll also integrate this ozone sensor: Futurlec MQ-131 and just for fun I ordered their Air Quality Control sensor: MQ-135 for only $6,90 🙂
I’m still in doubt about including an oxygen sensor. I’ve found two (view links) but I think they’re for use in cars. The tree sensors I’ve chosen now give a good indication of air quality. I could change my way of thinking; If the pollution is low the amount of oxygen will be high…