Real-Time Low-Cost Personal Monitoring for Exposure to PM2.5 among Asthmatic Children: Opportunities and Challenges

Ambient PM Concentrations as a Precursor of Emergency Visits for Respiratory Complaints: Roles of Deep Learning and Multi-Point Real-Time Monitoring

Despite ample evidence that high levels of particulate matter (PM) are associated with increased emergency visits related to respiratory diseases, little has been understood about how prediction processes could be improved by incorporating real-time data from multipoint monitoring stations. While previous studies use traditional statistical models, this study explored the feasibility of deep learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of predicting daily emergency hospital visits by tracking their spatiotemporal association with PM concentrations. We compared the predictive accuracy of the models based on PM datasets collected between 1 December 2019 and 31 December 2021 from a single but more accurate air monitoring station in each district (Air Korea) and multiple but less accurate monitoring sites (Korea Testing & Research Institute; KTR) within Guro District in Seoul, South Korea. We used MLP (multilayer perceptron) to integrate PM data from multiple locations and then LSTM (long short-term memory) models to incorporate the intrinsic temporal PM trends into the learning process. The results reveal evidence that predictive accuracy is improved from 1.67 to 0.79 in RMSE when spatial variations of air pollutants from multi-point stations are incorporated in the algorithm as a 9-day time window. The findings suggest guidelines on how environmental and health policymakers can arrange limited resources for emergency care and design ambient air monitoring and prevention strategies.

Research Priorities of Applying Low-Cost PM2.5 Sensors in Southeast Asian Countries

The low-cost and easy-to-use nature of rapidly developed PM2.5 sensors provide an opportunity to bring breakthroughs in PM2.5 research to resource-limited countries in Southeast Asia (SEA). This review provides an evaluation of the currently available literature and identifies research priorities in applying low-cost sensors (LCS) in PM2.5 environmental and health research in SEA. The research priority is an outcome of a series of participatory workshops under the umbrella of the International Global Atmospheric Chemistry Project-Monsoon Asia and Oceania Networking Group (IGAC-MANGO). A literature review and research prioritization are conducted with a transdisciplinary perspective of providing useful scientific evidence in assisting authorities in formulating targeted strategies to reduce severe PM2.5 pollution and health risks in this region. The PM2.5 research gaps that could be filled by LCS application are identified in five categories: source evaluation, especially for the distinctive sources in the SEA countries; hot spot investigation; peak exposure assessment; exposure-health evaluation on acute health impacts; and short-term standards. The affordability of LCS, methodology transferability, international collaboration, and stakeholder engagement are keys to success in such transdisciplinary PM2.5 research. Unique contributions to the international science community and challenges with LCS application in PM2.5 research in SEA are also discussed.