UAV-Based Sampling of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) for Atmospheric Monitoring: from Estonia to Cyprus

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by terrestrial vegetation and human activities play a significant role in air quality, human health, and ecosystem functioning. With UAV technology becoming more advanced and accessible, opportunities are opening to deploy such innovative techniques for the assessment of atmospheric VOC composition in remote and sensitive regions. Here, we present the development of a UAV-based VOC sampling system designed to collect samples using VOC-adsorbent cartridges, followed by offline thermal-desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis.A single-tube system was initially deployed in Estonia and later expanded into a stand-alone, 4-tube system by the Cyprus Institute within the framework of the ATMO-ACCESS TNA project. This enhanced system enables the collection of multiple samples per flight, allowing for diverse sampling strategies, including vertical and horizontal profiling, with options for single-tube and simultaneous multi-tube sampling. Additionally, meteorological parameters such as temperature, humidity, and wind conditions are recorded alongside VOC sampling, facilitating data interpretation. A field campaign in Cyprus in October 2023 involved 16 UAV flights across different environments, yielding a substantial dataset for further analysis.Interpreting both vertical and horizontal VOC distributions requires an understanding of numerous factors, including wind speed and direction, atmospheric lifetimes and sources of individual VOC species, turbulence, and the characteristics of the underlying surfaces. To address these challenges, we present several tools developed during our initial single-tube flights in Estonia and the Cyprus campaigns, which incorporate micrometeorological and land-cover data, demonstrating the UAV system’s capability for detailed atmospheric measurements.