Importance and Utility of Air Quality Monitoring

Air quality monitoring is a crucial aspect of environmental monitoring and public health. It helps in detecting and measuring the levels of various pollutants present in the air, such as particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Monitoring air quality allows us to understand the impact of pollution on our health and take necessary measures to mitigate its effects.

By using Arduino, we can create a cost-effective and customizable air quality monitoring system. Arduino boards are widely available and easy to program, making them an ideal choice for DIY projects. With the help of various sensors and components, we can measure and analyze different parameters related to air quality.

Project: Air Quality Monitoring System

In this project, we will create an air quality monitoring system using Arduino. The system will measure the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the air. The collected data will be displayed on an LCD screen and can be logged for further analysis.

List of Components:

1. Arduino Uno - 1x
2. SDS011 PM Sensor - 1x (Link: example.com/sds011)
3. DHT22 Temperature and Humidity Sensor - 1x (Link: example.com/dht22)
4. MH-Z19B CO2 Sensor - 1x (Link: example.com/mh-z19b)
5. LCD Display (16x2) - 1x
6. Breadboard - 1x
7. Jumper Wires - As required

Examples:

1. Example Code for PM Sensor (SDS011):

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

SoftwareSerial sdsSerial(10, 11); // RX, TX

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  sdsSerial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  if (sdsSerial.available()) {
    if (sdsSerial.find(0xAA)) {
      byte data[10];
      sdsSerial.readBytes(data, 10);

      // Parse the data and calculate PM2.5 and PM10 values
      float pm25 = ((data[3] * 256) + data[2]) / 10.0;
      float pm10 = ((data[5] * 256) + data[4]) / 10.0;

      // Print the values
      Serial.print("PM2.5: ");
      Serial.print(pm25);
      Serial.print(" µg/m³\tPM10: ");
      Serial.print(pm10);
      Serial.println(" µg/m³");
    }
  }
}

2. Example Code for Temperature and Humidity Sensor (DHT22):

#include <DHT.h>

#define DHTPIN 2
#define DHTTYPE DHT22

DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  dht.begin();
}

void loop() {
  float temperature = dht.readTemperature();
  float humidity = dht.readHumidity();

  // Print the values
  Serial.print("Temperature: ");
  Serial.print(temperature);
  Serial.print(" °C\tHumidity: ");
  Serial.print(humidity);
  Serial.println(" %");

  delay(2000);
}

3. Example Code for CO2 Sensor (MH-Z19B):

#include <SoftwareSerial.h>

SoftwareSerial co2Serial(10, 11); // RX, TX

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);
  co2Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  if (co2Serial.available()) {
    if (co2Serial.find(0xFF)) {
      byte data[9];
      co2Serial.readBytes(data, 9);

      // Parse the data and calculate CO2 level
      int co2 = data[2] * 256 + data[3];

      // Print the value
      Serial.print("CO2: ");
      Serial.print(co2);
      Serial.println(" ppm");
    }
  }
}