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Updated: May 2, 2026
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Automated, High-resolution Mobile Collection System for the Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis of NOx
Published on: December 20, 2016
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Toward Portable and Affordable Air Quality Monitoring: A 3D-Printed Platform for Colorimetric NO2 Quantification from
Danielle da Silva Sousa1, Sidnei Gonçalves da Silva1, João Flávio da Silveira Petruci1
1Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU), 38408-072 Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
ACS Omega
|February 23, 2026
Summary
A new portable sensor platform effectively quantifies nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in vehicle exhaust. This low-cost device, using a colorimetric method, shows diesel vehicles emit significantly more NO2 than gasoline ones, aiding urban air quality monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Sensor Technology
Background:
- Vehicular exhaust emissions are a major urban air quality concern, with nitrogen dioxide (NO2) posing significant health risks.
- Effective monitoring of NO2 emissions is crucial for pollution mitigation and advancing vehicle technology.
- Existing monitoring methods often lack the portability and ease of use required for in situ analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a portable analytical platform for direct quantification of gaseous NO2 in vehicle exhaust.
- To assess the feasibility of using low-cost, compact sensor systems for real-time air quality monitoring.
- To compare NO2 emissions across different vehicle fuel types.
Main Methods:
- Assembly of a portable system using commercial components and 3D-printed parts.
- Implementation of a colorimetric detection method based on the Griess-Saltzman reaction.
- Integration of an ESP32-S3 microcontroller for data acquisition and signal processing, with optimization of sampling parameters.
Main Results:
- The developed platform achieved a limit of detection of 0.6 ppbv and a limit of quantification of 2 ppbv.
- Real-world vehicle exhaust analysis indicated substantially higher NO2 emissions from diesel vehicles compared to gasoline vehicles.
- The system demonstrated high sensitivity for trace-level NO2 detection.
Conclusions:
- The portable analytical platform is feasible for effective NO2 monitoring in vehicle exhaust.
- Low-cost, portable sensor systems can support preliminary air quality assessments and urban pollution source identification.
- The findings highlight significant differences in NO2 emissions based on vehicle fuel type.
