Performance evaluation of light weight gas sensor system suitable for airborne applications against co-location gas analysers over Delhi

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2019-12, Vol.697, p.134016-134016, Article 134016
• Main Authors: Ahlawat, A., Mishra, S.K., Gumber, S., Goel, V., Sharma, C., Wiedensohler, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electrochemical gas sensors; High-end analysers; Light weight; Low-cost; LWGSS
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134016

In the present work, we discuss the light-weight gas sensor system (LWGSS) [350 g, 7″ ∗ 3″] originally developed at CSIR-National Physical Laboratory. This instrument is equipped with low-cost electrolytic gas sensors for quantifying major gaseous pollutants present in the atmosphere. Alphasense electrochemical gas sensors were used to measure gas pollutant species such as CO, SO2, NO2, O3 and H2S. In our experiment, we focus on the observation of CO, SO2, NO2, O3 using this system. LWGSS has been designed for vertical observations using balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to study the gaseous concentration in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). But, before using such instruments in field campaigns, there is a strong need for the inter-comparison of these instruments with that of the collocated high-end gas analysers. Thus, the inter-comparisons were performed between LWGSS and other high-end analysers during 6–7, March 2017 and 26–27, April 2017. The LWGSS system comprising all the sensors was compared against high-end analyser present at CSIR-NPL for ozone and other gas analysers present at IMD, New Delhi. The ozone sensor deployed in LWGSS showed good correlation (i.e. R2 = 0.83, slope = 0.93) against the high-end ozone gas analyser, which was calibrated with primary ozone facility (SRP43) available at CSIR-NPL. Inter-comparisons performed for NO2, SO2 and CO showed different results. While the NO2 gas sensor showed medium correlation (R2 = 0.75; slope = 0.49), the SO2 and CO gas sensor showed a poor correlation (and R2 = 0.44; slope = 0.98; R2 = 0.28, slope = 0.79) respectively, when compared with co-location gas analysers present at IMD, New Delhi. Comparisons were performed for LWGSS data during 1–28 February 2018 with data collected at CPCB station (Shadipur, Delhi) and IMD station (Pusa, Delhi). The comparison results showed variations in LWGSS CO and SO2 data whereas LWGSS O3 and NO2 results were in accordance with data collected at aforementioned monitoring stations. [Display omitted] •Indigenous development of light-weight gas sensor system (LWGSS) [350 g, 7” *3″] equipped with low cost electrolytic gas sensors.•LWGSS has been designed for vertical observations using balloons or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to study the gaseous concentration.•The LWGSS system was compared against high-end analyser present at CSIR-NPL for ozone and other gas analysers present at IMD, New Delhi.•The ozone sensor deployed in LWGSS showed good correlati