Fine particulate matter pollution too high worldwide - Study

/

The worldwide PM2.5 air pollution still exceeds the WHO daily maximum level on 70% of days, rising to over 90% in East and South Asia. Air pollution causes seven million deaths globally each year, with 240,000 in the EU alone in 2020. The main sources of PM2.5 are transportation, power generation, heating, metal and steel production, and soil erosion. In urban areas, traffic is the main source, while in agriculture, ammonia from animal husbandry contributes to PM2.5. Although the WHO lowered its PM2.5 limits in 2021, it was exceeded in most German measuring stations in 2022.

Roland Schrödner from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig regards the study as promising but notes that PM2.5 is only a compromise. The most dangerous particles are PM1, which must be better monitored in the future, along with their chemical composition.

Decentlab’s DL-PM measures particulate matter (PM) concentrations PM1, PM2.5, PM4, temperature, humidity and barometric pressure.

Read article (german), read study (english), realtime demo for DL-PM

ICOS Cities – Mid- and low-cost CO2 measurements

/

The ICOS Cities project is a project for emission monitoring, utilizing various sensors including Decentlab's DL-LP8P and DL-ATM22. The CO2 sensor network in Zurich has been operational since mid-July 2022, with 21 mid-cost sensor locations installed throughout the city. The captured data has allowed the research team to continuously determine emission flux ratios and monitor changes over time and with different wind directions.

During an episode between October 28 and 31, the network experienced its highest concentrations due to cooler temperatures and a lack of wind. As of the beginning of January 2023, on-site wind observations are now available at 20 of the 21 mid-cost sensor locations.

Zurich is collaborating with teams in Munich and Paris for data and knowledge transfer, with the three sensor teams working on an interim data specification to facilitate easy data sharing among users before the end of the year.

Read more

Internet of Water – Overflows

/

Internet of Water Flanders is a research and innovation project to develop and deploy a system to digitally monitor, in real-time, water quality indicators across Flanders. A network of new low-cost IoT sensors are being installed at selected locations across Flanders. These sensors are placed in different water types: surface water, groundwater and waste water.

An interesting report has been published about overflows on the sewer system. These overflows allow diluted waste water to flow directly into watercourses, posing a risk to the recovering water quality in some areas. To mitigate this risk, it is important to map out the impact of overflows. During the stakeholder event held on December 8, 2022, experts shared insights into the added value of live data for managing overflow operations.

In Flanders, there are over 9500 overflows, which can be identified as problem areas through measurements and pattern recognition. To this end, our partner Vito is involved in a project that utilizes various Decentlab sensors to provide real-time data.

Read more, presentations (dutch), news

Climate and water level monitoring in Norway

/

An installation for climate and water level monitoring at a hydropower water reservoir at more than 1000 meters above sea level in Norway.

Our sensors DL-SHT35-001 for air temperature and humidity and DL-PR26-001 for pressure / liquid level and temperature measure and transmit data reliably even in the challenging Nordic winter climate. 

Thanks to Sognekraft for their cooperation and for providing the great picture.

Smart Cities – District heating and leak detection

/

We are proud to announce that we are a technology partner with MVV Smart Cities in the field of district heating and leak detection. MVV Smart Cities has created an interactive map that displays smart city solutions in an easy way.

Steel jacket pipes are commonly used in district heating systems to transport hot water or steam at temperatures above 145°C. However, leaks can be a dangerous problem. Our sensor DL-PR23 (variant of DL-PR21 for higher requirements) can detect leaks of vacuum in the jacket pipes.

In addition to leak detection, monitoring the temperature of district heating pipes surface is also crucial. Our temperature sensor DL-DS18 is used to keep an eye on the temperature for fast alerting in case of unexpected changes.

Frozen nights in the cold air pools

/

In November, we reported on the cold air pools with kaltluftseen.ch. Recently, the Sägistalsee cold air pool just hit a bone-chilling -42.3°C / -44.1°F. Check out the live data here. Measured by kaltluftseen.ch - kryophil, using our DL-SHT35-002 Air Temperature and Humidity Sensor for LoRaWAN®.

Swiss television Meteo has also reported on the cold air pools and featured an interesting article about measurements taken in December.

Read article

We hope you're off to a great start in the new year.

/

As we kick off the new year, it's important to note that the fireworks that are a part of the celebrations can contribute to the highest levels of fine dust pollution of the year. You can see this increase in particulate pollution clearly in our real-time demo, which is powered by our DL-PM sensor for measuring particulate matter, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure.

Stay informed and check out all our real-time demos of different devices by visiting our demos website.

Smart Cities - Project cool-INN

/

The Cool-INN project is testing the use of blue infrastructure in Innsbruck to improve the microclimate at urban hotspots. The project was awarded with the VCÖ prize.

The impacts of the project are being evaluated using both qualitative and quantitative factors. Physical parameters such as temperature and humidity, as well as data on weather extremes, are being collected. Additionally, subjective perceptions of passers-by and residents before and after implementation will be taken into account to allow for scientifically sound conclusions to be drawn.

Decentlab sensors, including the DL-ATM41, DL-ATM22, DL-PYR, and DL-TRS12are being used on the one hand to evaluate the effect, on the other hand to control the cooling water elements.

Read full article

Cold air pools

/

The lowest minimum temperatures in Switzerland do not occur on the highest peaks of the Alps but in cold air pools.

Kaltluftseen.ch recently installed a new measuring station in the Sägistal, so this location is now on Switzerland's meteorological/climatological map. It is a 46 m deep closed sink with a Sky View Factor >0.9, which is the most relevant parameter for the potential of cold air pools. The lowest point at Sägistalsee is at ~1937 m.

As soon as the lake is covered with snow and ice, spectacularly lowest temperatures can be measured here. Just yesterday, a minimum of -20.2 °C was recorded here, the lowest value recorded in the current winter half-year 2022/23 in Switzerland. Measurements are taken with a Decentlab sensor DL-SHT35-002.

Thanks to Kaltluftseen.ch for the great work and the cooperation.

Read more

Indoor air quality and energy saving

/

In the winter months, we spend most of our time indoors. Therefore, special attention should be paid to indoor air quality. The pandemic has also reminded us that we must pay attention to indoor air quality. The air we breathe affects how we learn, work, sleep and relax.

Humidity and temperature have a significant impact on personal health and well-being. Optimizing humidity and temperature in your environment can improve your well-being.

Measurement of humidity and temperature can help optimize processes and thus save energy and costs.

Our DL-IAM measures indoor air quality in real-time. In our device we have integrated sensors from Sensirion and others.

How to improve indoor air quality? Read more (article by Sensirion).

New Decentlab devices integrated with TagoIO

/

New environmental LoRaWAN sensors from Decentlab added to TagoIO.

The TagoIO platform now includes most Decentlab devices; as a result, users may connect them to the TagoIO platform without needing to code or configure complicated settings. Users can use the Decentlab LoRaWAN devices for many applications like air quality, ecophysiology, hydrology, indoor air quality, internet of water, and urban heat island.

Platforms

Pilot project for measuring cold air flows

/

A favorable urban climate contributes significantly to maintaining the quality of life in the city and protecting the health of the population. Cities have a special local climate. Increased temperatures and polluted air pose a direct health risk to the population and reduce the quality of life.

The cold air flows that occur naturally in Zurich have been calculated by specialists. With a pilot project, the Air Quality Measurement Laboratory of the Zurich Environmental and Health Protection Department is now trying to find out whether the calculations of the cold air currents are correct.

Decentlab's DL-ATM22 | Wind Speed, Wind Direction and Temperature Sensor for LoRaWAN® are being used in this project.

Thanks to kaltluftseen.ch for the picture.

Read more (only in german)

Experimental Meteorological Monitoring Project

/

Within the experimental project of meteorological monitoring in the Regional Forest of Pian Cansiglio, mountain Regions of Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia – Italy, Decentlab sensors
DL-SHT35-002 | Air Temperature and Humidity Sensor for LoRaWAN® have been installed in 2020 and 2021, suitable for the chosen locations and the peculiar climatic conditions.

After one year of data analysis Andrea Costanntini wrote a "case story" about the ongoing project for WMO TECO-2022 conference.

Thanks to Andrea Costantini for the interesting article and the efforts for the local monitoring initiative.

Read full article & real time demo

Measurements in the Game Reserve in Africa

/

DL-MBX & DL-DLR2 for a great rhino project in Africa!

Ultrasonic Distance / Level Sensors are used to monitor water levels in tanks and drinking points. Furthermore, as in the Game Reserve, the devices measure the level of the river when it is carrying water. The devices measure the level of the river to monitor the crossing points that have vastly different water levels throughout the year. Knowing the current level in real-time is therefore very helpful for estimating where you can cross the river and where not. This way you can save not only unnecessary trips and money but also protect the environment by using less gasoline.

In addition to the sensor for measuring the river water level, the DL-DLR2 is also in the field. This sensor is for monitoring gates and showing whether they are open or not. It records, for example, if someone enters the park at night without permission. This sensor therefore helps to increase security in the park. For this project, the Akenza IoT platform is used.

Thanks to Volunteering Africa for the cooperation and the great pictures!