Web-Based Data Analytics Framework for Polyurethane Foam Passive Air Sampling Rate and Effective Volume

Polyurethane foam equipped passive air samplers (PUF-PAS) are a valuable tool for monitoring atmospheric semi-volatile organic pollutants but are often complicated due to the need for an accurate sampling rate ( <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msub> </mml:math> ). Here we describe the development and implementation of a web based <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msub> </mml:math> interface that allows for a user-friendly way of determining and visualizing accurate modelled <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msub> </mml:math> values. The web interface provides access to the previously published model without the need for proprietary software (MATLAB) or coding experience. The precalculated <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msub> </mml:math> avoids unnecessary computation time, providing the user with fast results and visualizations of the sampler behavior during deployment. Supported by NASA's MERRA meteorological data at both 2 m and 10 m heights above ground level (AGL), users can determine <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:msub><mml:mi>R</mml:mi> <mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msub> </mml:math> for any location on the globe. Users can select prepopulated compounds (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls) or manually enter compounds, enter sample information individually or upload them batch wise, run the model, and export data to a CSV to further integrate with the data analysis workflow. Additionally, an implementation of the same model is available in R, along with scripts to process meteorological data.