A ground-breaking air quality measuring device was presented at the end of August in Nairobi by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is expected to cost up to 100 times less than existing solutions and could help prevent deaths from air pollution in developing countries.

The device, capable of collecting all the vital parameters of air quality, will cost around $1,500 per unit, allowing governments to establish a countrywide network of mobile and stationary air monitoring stations for as little as $150,000-200,000. Currently, roughly the same amount of money is necessary to set up just one monitoring station. Moreover, UNEP plans to make the blueprints of its device publically available thus allowing governments and organizations to assemble or fabricate the units themselves.

UNEP's device can measure the concentration of particulate matter ranging from 1 to 10 microns in diameter (PM 1 - PM 10), including PM 2.5, considered by the WHO to have the greatest effect on human health. It also records the concentration of sulphur and nitrogen oxides and can be extended to measure other gases such as ozone.
The unit was designed for affordability throughout its lifecycle, with less frequent calibration required and a durability of up to 4 years. High quality has been ensured through rigorous testing in various settings, and a built-in GPS system means that the device can also be used as a mobile unit.

Currently, the UNEP Live platform enables near real-time monitoring of air quality from 2000 stations across the world. However, only few of those are located in developing countries and their setup and calibration varies. The new device can successfully bridge this data gap and contribute to standardization of data collection.

The pilot project inaugurated in Kenya's capital will further test the device and map the city's air pollution hotspots in cooperation with the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and the Nairobi County. Preliminary test results, collected by the mobile monitoring unit, show that large parts of the city may have unsafe levels of air pollution, with certain areas particularly affected.

For more information plaese visit the UNEP website