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Demonstrating the benefit of sensor data correction
Independent QA/QC of air quality sensor data
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Case study
Ricardo experts give Luton Council policy makers accurate air quality sensor measurements to help in decision making.
Blog series
View our blog series, where we examine some of the common questions relating to sensor use and highlight potential pitfalls to be aware of, and the right questions to ask suppliers.
What is the challenge?
Unless handled carefully, air quality sensor data can be misleading. Data quality and measurement uncertainty for sensors operating in real-world conditions is often unknown.
Air quality sensors are unlikely to provide reliable data ‘out of the box’. Uncorrected responses may differ significantly from the ‘true’ pollution value. These deviations can be extreme – resulting in false alarms or incorrect actions, e.g. if results are being published in real time for public health or traffic management purposes.
Without implementing a comprehensive data correction and QA/QC process, data quality is largely unknown, leaving the data and the decisions it underpins open to challenge.
What are the benefits of sensor data correction and regular QA/QC?
Ongoing QA/QC and data correction provides reliable, insightful air quality sensor data of known quality with a specified uncertainty status e.g. “Indicative” or “Near Reference”.
Ricardo's service is tailored to meet your specified budget, needs and quality of information, whether the results are for; LAQM reporting; education and public information purposes; or hyperlocal local networks for feedback into modelling; forecasts; traffic management or other Smart Cities applications.
Comprehensive QA/QC and data correction ensures results are defensible under challenge.
Delivering innovative and operational air quality monitoring networks for more than 25 years
- Delivers corrected sensor datasets representative of real-world pollutant concentrations.
- Is agnostic in terms of the equipment selected – we will advise you of the most appropriate cost-effective technology for your needs.
- Will maximise the data capture and analytical insight from your investment.
- Provides an assessment of data quality and performance to advise how the results from individual sensors or networks can be best used – including for Local Air Quality Management, education and public information.
- Capitalises on many years of research based on our experience, plus machine learning data science, to deliver reliable air quality sensor data correction.
Added value
Our data management and QA/QC services are complemented by:
- Air quality sensor procurement and maintenance support, drawing upon our unrivalled insight into the air quality data sensor marketplace
- Ricardo’s real-time data dissemination, reporting and analysis services, including informative and educational websites, alert systems and apps. Example sensor website functions can be found on Air Quality England, along with routine data analysis and reporting seen here.
Blog series
Get in touch
Our experts are happy to discuss how we can support your data correction needs