The CITI-SENSE Citizens' Observatory Toolbox: visualising and evaluating citizen- contributed environmental exposure information

摘要

Aim: CITI-SENSE, an EU-wide project involving nine cities (partly funded by the EU FP7-ENV-2012, grant agreement # 308524), is using participatory practices to develop the Citizens' Observatory Toolbox (COT) for collecting, collating and conveying a multitude of environmental exposure information. The CITI-SENSE COT should facilitate environmental health governance and contribute to future work with time-space-activity exposure classification and dynamic air quality maps. All tools within it are to be made available online upon completion of the project < http://co.citi-sense.eu/CitizensObservatoriesToolbox.aspx >. Methods: Environmental micro-sensor nodes for measuring air quality (AQ) are being hosted by the public to monitor NO, NO2, 03, CO, PM2.5, PM10, and noise. Static nodes (AQMesh pods) and portable nodes were deployed with different stakeholders, including local authorities and medical outpatients, respectively. The portable nodes are coupled to the ExpoApp smartphone application (Android), which also collects geolocation and accelerometry (physical activity) data. Besides objective data, users of the CityAir smartphone application (Android, iOS) can identify perceived AQ hotspots and emission sources. Data from these tools is encrypted and then transmitted wirelessly and in near-real-time to a dedicated Spatial and Environmental Data Service (SEDS) and Web Feature Service (WFS) for processing, visualisation and evaluation by users. Results/Conclusions: AQMesh pods with an updated algorithm are showing high correlations for NO2 and PM2.5 when comparing 15-minute and daily averages obtained by reference instruments at municipal monitoring stations, respectively (R2 > 0.7). The portable nodes, due to the challenges of micro-sensors and egomotion, are communicating real-time Air Pollution Indication (APIN) levels to users. The APIN is based upon the Common AQ Index (CAQI) but represents minute averages, showing potential to improve micro-environmental exposure classifications as well as personal AQ advice. Dynamic city-wide AQ maps have been produced using data assimilation techniques, fusing data from the AQMesh pods with base maps obtained by land-use regression modeling. The CityAir application, so-far with around a thousand users and growing in popularity, is collecting and visualising (and sharing via social media) observations in the eight project cities, identifying emission hotspots particularly in Barcelona and Ostrava, but also with users in the United States, India and Iran. The CityAir responses are being compared (spatiotemporally) to AQ. measured by the same individuals using portable AQ micro-sensor nodes, and also to stationary node network-modeled values for emission source characterisation. The products are being evaluated by focus groups of stakeholders, to assess the usefulness of the COT.