A Low-Cost, Easy-to-Use Toolkit for Monitoring Local Air Quality
In collaboration with the UNDP Global Centre in Singapore, AirGradient has created a powerful yet affordable air quality monitoring toolkit — designed especially for communities that often lack access to reliable and accurate air data.
What makes this toolkit different? You don’t need to be an engineer or have any technical background to use it. It simplifies complex but essential tasks like sensor calibration and data quality control, making them accessible to everyone.
With simple, step-by-step guides, illustrated manuals, and helpful video tutorials, anyone can plan, build, and manage a local air quality monitoring network. Developed through the UNDP Open Innovation Platform Challenge, this solution is made to scale and built to empower.
What Is It?
The Low-Cost Hyperlocal Air Quality Monitoring Toolkit was developed to make air quality data more accessible, empowering communities to setup a high quality, yet affordable air quality monitoring network.
Democratize Access
The AirGradient-UNDP Toolkit tackles unequal access by offering an affordable, accessible solution. It breaks down barriers, putting monitoring capabilities within reach of communities, especially in developing regions, ensuring local environmental insights aren’t limited by resources and fostering data equity.
Enable Anyone
Designed for ease of use, the toolkit offers comprehensive guidance through clear instructions and videos. This enables diverse users like municipalities, NGOs, and community groups, even without prior expertise, to successfully set up and manage their own air quality monitoring networks effectively.
Build Local Capacity
More than just hardware, the toolkit builds sustainable local skills by guiding users through defining goals, setup, data analysis, and long-term maintenance. This comprehensive approach equips local actors with the knowledge for ongoing network management, fostering self-sufficiency in tackling air quality issues.
Empower communities
The toolkit empowers communities with reliable, local data for informed action. This evidence supports advocacy, influences urban planning and policy, and helps mobilize residents for cleaner air, turning awareness into tangible improvements for healthier environments.
“By empowering communities with the affordable and easy-to-use Low-Cost Air Quality Monitoring Toolkit, UNDP aims to raise citizen awareness, foster community engagement, and advocate for proactive action towards cleaner air and healthier environments”.
Who Is It For?
Governments
Government officials and policymakers can use air quality data to support infrastructure improvements and pollution control measures.
Municipalities
Municipalities can use the toolkit to establish affordable monitoring networks for data-driven public health policies and environmental regulations.
Advocacy groups/NGOs
These groups can use air quality data to fuel awareness campaigns and mobilize community initiatives.
Private Companies
Businesses can use air quality data to improve workplace environments, ensure regulatory compliance, and support corporate social responsibility initiatives.
What’s Inside the Toolkit?
The toolkit provides a complete and self-contained solution for establishing a hyperlocal air quality monitoring network.
Air Quality Monitors
The toolkit builds upon the AirGradient air quality monitors which are one of the most affordable and accurate monitors available.
Documentation and Guides
More than 20 chapters in 3 sections covers all aspects that need to be known to setup a robust air quality monitoring network.
Videos
Videos are highlighting important aspects of setting up the monitoring network, e.g. how to deploy the monitors.
Dashboard & Analytics
Access to the AirGradient dashboard, analytics and calibration tools allow running a high performant network with low costs.
“This toolkit is the perfect partner to our open-source hardware monitors, providing the comprehensive guidance needed to empower anyone to easily build and manage effective community air quality networks.”.
The Structure
Organized into three key phases, the AirGradient-UNDP Toolkit is structured as a step-by-step roadmap that empowers users — with minimum technical expertise — to set up an affordable and accurate air quality monitoring network.
Section 1: Planning
Before deploying any monitors, a clear understanding of the air quality challenge is essential. This section guides users through the essential steps of defining their specific air quality concerns and developing a robust monitoring strategy.
Section 2: Set Up
This section provides step-by-step, user-friendly instructions for the physical installation and initial configuration and calibration of the air quality monitors. It also offers practical guidance on monitor installation to ensure optimal data collection.
Section 3: Operations
This section empowers users to effectively manage their deployed network and ensure the ongoing accuracy and reliability of the collected data. It offers practical guidance on data interpretation, visualization, and helping users understand key air quality metrics.
Each section contains chapters that guide you through your air quality monitoring project:
Planning
- 1 About the Toolkit
- 2 Air Quality Problem Definition
- 3 Community Engagement Planning
- 4 Site and Monitor Selection
Set Up
- 1 Deployment Preparation
- 2 Connecting your monitor to the internet (Models O-1PST-CE & O-M-1PPSTON-CE)
- 3 Connecting your monitor to the Dashboard
- 4 Mounting
- 5 AirGradient Dashboard: First Steps
- 6 Data Sharing
- 7 Monitor Calibration
Operation
- 1 On Going Network Operation
- 2 Dashboard Operation
- 3 Maintaining Data Quality and Accuracy
- 4.1 O-1PST-CE (Cellular) Maintenance
- 4.2 O-M-1PPSTON (Open Air Max) Maintenance
- 5 Data Visualisation Analysis, and Interpretation
- 6 Data Download and Export
- 7 Community Engagement
- 8 Measuring Your Impact
- 9 AirGradient API
Key Features
Capacity Building
No experience needed on air quality monitoring! Let the toolkit guide you from page one.
Affordability
Unlike traditional air quality monitoring, the toolkit is a cost-effective solution aimed for scale.
High Data Quality
Achieve accurate and reliable measurements without needing technical expertise.
Data Ownership
Unlike other manufacturers, AirGradient gives you clear ownership of your data.
Coming Soon!
If you’re interested in early access and providing valuable feedback, reach out to us at www.airgradient.com/support.
Stay informed by reading our blog post about the project.