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Spatial varying profiling of air PM constituents using paper-based microfluidics
Yuan Jia, Wenyu Wu1, Jianping Zheng2
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
Biomicrofluidics
|September 28, 2019
Summary
This study introduces a reliable method for air particulate matter (PM) analysis using drones and smartphone colorimetry. It enables extended aerial sampling for accurate pollution mapping, even in low-resource areas.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Aerospace Engineering
Background:
- Accurate air particulate matter (PM) profiling is crucial for local pollution assessment.
- Current drone-based aerial sampling methods lack reliability due to limited sampling time and portable quantification techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a reliable and cost-effective method for quantitative, spatiotemporal profiling of air PM compositions.
- To overcome limitations of existing aerial sampling techniques for air pollution monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Integration of mobile aerial sampling with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
- In-flight tethered charging and smartphone-based colorimetric analysis using paper microfluidic devices.
- Extended aerial sampling time up to 12-15 flight hours per deployment.
Main Results:
- Achieved quantitative and reliable profiling of air PM trace metal components (Fe, Ni, Mn).
- Demonstrated spatiotemporal variation study over 21 days across 4 locations in Fuzhou, China.
- Results showed good agreement with a commercial instrument, validating the method's accuracy.
Conclusions:
- The developed method enhances sampling reliability and enables portable, cost-effective PM analysis.
- The technique is suitable for low-resource settings and has potential for multipollutant analysis, including airborne pathogens.
