A Wearable Sensor Node for Measuring Air Quality Through Citizen Science Approach: Insights from the SOCIO-BEE...

Air pollution is a major environmental and public health challenge, especially in urban areas where fine-grained air quality data are essential to effective interventions. Traditional monitoring networks, while accurate, often lack spatial resolution and public engagement. This study presents a novel wearable wireless sensor node (WSN) that was developed within the Horizon Europe SOCIO-BEE project to support air quality monitoring through citizen science (CS). The low-cost, body-mounted WSN measures NO₂, O₃, and PM_2.5. Three pilot campaigns were conducted in Ancona (Italy), Maroussi (Greece), and Zaragoza (Spain), and involved diverse user groups-seniors, commuters, and students, respectively. PM_2.5 sensor data were validated through two approaches: direct comparison with reference stations and spatial clustering analysis using K-means. The results show strong correlation with official PM_2.5 data (R² = 0.75), with an average absolute error of 0.54 µg/m³ and a statistical confidence interval of ±3.3 µg/m³. In Maroussi and Zaragoza, where no reference stations were available, the clustering approach yielded low intra-cluster coefficients of variation (CV = 0.50 ± 0.40 in Maroussi, CV = 0.28 ± 0.30 in Zaragoza), indicating that the measurements had high internal consistency and spatial homogeneity. Beyond technical validation, user engagement and perceptions were evaluated through pre-/post-campaign surveys. Across all pilots, over 70% of participants reported satisfaction with the system's usability and inclusiveness. The findings demonstrate that wearable low-cost sensors, when supported by a structured engagement and data validation framework, can provide reliable, actionable air quality data, empowering citizens and informing evidence-based environmental policy.