Spatio-Temporal PM Analysis for Event Detection using Low-Cost IoT Sensors

Local activities have a significant impact on the air quality in every region. A study for two consecutive years (2021-2022) has been conducted in the Gachibowli region of Hyderabad, India, which employs spatially distributed low-cost IoT-based air quality monitors across residential and at traffic junctions and main roads measuring particulate matter (PM), temperature, and humidity. The study shows the observations during three seasons, aiming to establish correlations between the PM spikes and specific events that triggered these spikes. Detailed discussions focus on the variations in PM levels linked to traffic patterns over six months and the Diwali festival in 2021 and 2022. PM concentrations increased 2-3 times the normal range during Diwali and decreased post-Diwali. In the case of traffic-related pollution, 1.5 times higher PM levels were observed during morning and evening peak traffic hours, with significant reductions in afternoons across all months with variations in range depending on the season.