I think I’ve plugged this here before. Sensor is an open community trying to track pollution. You can build your own sensor by ordering a dozen or so parts for 50-100 USD off AliExpress or Amazon (or wherever else you’d prefer because there’s really nothing extraordinary here). Some sensors even go down to 1 micrometer. The firmware is built to distinguish between 1, 2.5, and 10 micrometers. I believe AQI is the standard metric that is used for the map’s visualization.
It requires minimal technical expertise, no 3D printing, no soldering, and minimal configuration.
It’s a noble mission, and I find the granularity of data for both pollution and temperature far more telling than the estimates of more centralized systems.
Sounds like it’s not working. There is always particulate matter to be detected, so even if you are fortunate enough to live in a low-pollution area, there should be some PM readings. The AQI is just an estimation of how healthy it is to breathe particulate matter per 8hours or ozone per 24 hours. So if the AQI is reported to be 90, it means you should definitely see some PM readings. My sensor was not very expensive but worked very well for a couple years until it broke a couple weeks ago, likely from moisture. Go to the guides section of the sensor community site and see which sensors they recommend. I think they’re largely interoperable.
Because it’s a voluntary community. They aren’t pulling data from other sources to aggregate onto the map. What you see on the map is a collection of individuals who have built their own sensor and keep it online.
It requires minimal technical expertise, no 3D printing, no soldering, and minimal configuration.
It’s a noble mission, and I find the granularity of data for both pollution and temperature far more telling than the estimates of more centralized systems.
Check out the map and guide here:
https://sensor.community/
https://sensor.community/en/sensors/