This paper deals with a new methodology for monitoring both air pollution and meteoclimatic parameters in urban areas. This innovative method is based on the use of mobile measurement systems mounted upon public transportation means. This research was carried out by the Department of Energy of the University of Palermo and the Department of Civil Engineering (DIC) of the University of Messina, in cooperation with the Municipal Transport Company (ATM) of Messina, and it is named "Project SET: Eco-efficient and Environmental Friendly Transport Systems". Among its objectives, this project has the aim to find out new solutions of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and new techniques for the assessment of urban microclimate and pollution conditions using original data acquisition equipments installed on moving vehicles. These instruments, equipped with various kinds of sensors, are able to measure the most important weather and climate physical quantities and the most relevant pollution parameters. Data are properly geo-referenced by a GPS system and they can be downloaded from a remote station through the GPRS mobile phone network. Some of these equipments, continuously moving across the urban area, could integrate the data coming from existing fixed stations, and they could create a virtual network with hundreds of measuring points. Furthermore, an in-depth knowledge of microclimatic conditions and air pollution in urban environment could be very useful for climatologic studies involving the “Urban Heat Island” phenomenon and the outdoor comfort conditions. In the field of the pollution control, a monitoring network constituted of mobile and fixed stations could contribute to the characterization of causes, the localization of sources and to the application and check of control strategies with a relevant spin-off to town planning. In this paper the research activities carried out within the set project and a prototype of a standalone unit for detection and remote data acquisition are described. The main results of a pilot monitoring survey of air pollution and meteoclimatic parameter in the urban areas of the city of Messina are also reported.

Monitoring of the environmental parameters through a prototype unit for detecting and acquisition of georeferenced data

CANNISTRARO, Giuseppe;RESTIVO, ROBERTA
2012-01-01

Abstract

This paper deals with a new methodology for monitoring both air pollution and meteoclimatic parameters in urban areas. This innovative method is based on the use of mobile measurement systems mounted upon public transportation means. This research was carried out by the Department of Energy of the University of Palermo and the Department of Civil Engineering (DIC) of the University of Messina, in cooperation with the Municipal Transport Company (ATM) of Messina, and it is named "Project SET: Eco-efficient and Environmental Friendly Transport Systems". Among its objectives, this project has the aim to find out new solutions of Intelligent Transport System (ITS) and new techniques for the assessment of urban microclimate and pollution conditions using original data acquisition equipments installed on moving vehicles. These instruments, equipped with various kinds of sensors, are able to measure the most important weather and climate physical quantities and the most relevant pollution parameters. Data are properly geo-referenced by a GPS system and they can be downloaded from a remote station through the GPRS mobile phone network. Some of these equipments, continuously moving across the urban area, could integrate the data coming from existing fixed stations, and they could create a virtual network with hundreds of measuring points. Furthermore, an in-depth knowledge of microclimatic conditions and air pollution in urban environment could be very useful for climatologic studies involving the “Urban Heat Island” phenomenon and the outdoor comfort conditions. In the field of the pollution control, a monitoring network constituted of mobile and fixed stations could contribute to the characterization of causes, the localization of sources and to the application and check of control strategies with a relevant spin-off to town planning. In this paper the research activities carried out within the set project and a prototype of a standalone unit for detection and remote data acquisition are described. The main results of a pilot monitoring survey of air pollution and meteoclimatic parameter in the urban areas of the city of Messina are also reported.
2012
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11570/2036686
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