Particulate matter air pollution monitoring in Nairobi, Kenya using calibrated low cost sensors

Rhiannon Blake1, Francis D. Pope1, Alexander Poynter1, David Ng’ang’a2 and Michael Gatari2,

1School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, B15 2TT

2Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

Summary

Typically, there is a paucity of air pollution data for cities in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).  Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, has more measurements than most, but it still lacks long-term measurements with appropriate calibration. Existing measurements in Nairobi indicate that particulate matter (PM) concentrations regularly exceed WHO guidelines, both in the PM10 and PM2.5 mass fractions e.g. Gaita et al. (2014).[1] This poses a significant risk to human health by increasing the likelihoods of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.[2]

This study investigates the use of low cost optical particle counters (OPCs) to measure PM pollution in Nairobi.