Particulate Matter Monitoring and Forecast with Integrated Low-cost Sensor Networks and Air-quality Monitoring Stations

The fusion of low-cost sensor networks with air quality stations has become prominent, offering a cost-effective approach to gathering fine-scaled spatial data. However, effective integration of diverse data sources while maintaining reliable information remains challenging. This paper presents an extended clustering method based on the Girvan-Newman algorithm to identify spatially correlated clusters of sensors and nearby observatories. The proposed approach enables localized monitoring within each cluster by partitioning the network into communities, optimizing resource allocation and reducing redundancy. Through our simulations with real-world data collected from the state-run air quality monitoring stations and the low-cost sensor network in Sydney’s suburbs, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in enhancing localized monitoring compared to other clustering methods, namely K-Means Clustering, Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) and Agglomerative Clustering. Experimental results illustrate the potential for this method to facilitate comprehensive and high-resolution air quality monitoring systems, advocating the advantages of integrating low-cost sensor networks with conventional monitoring infrastructure.