Testbed Implementation of a Pollution Monitoring System Using Wireless Sensor Network for the Protection of Public Spaces

The availability of consistent, accurate and timely information on environmental conditions greatly improves the speed of planning and decision making (Hammons & Chisholm, 2006). Such information, although required for most businesses, is of particular importance in chemical factories, mines and other high investment industries. The availability of precise information enables businesses to respond in quick time and take preventive measures against emission of poisonous gases and other hazards, thus improving the safety of personnel and equipment. Air pollution (Jung, Lee, Lee, Ryu, & Nittel, 2008; Ma, Richards, Ghanem, Guo, & Hassard, 2008) is an important environmental issue that has a direct effect on human health and ecological balance. The primary airborne pollutants covered by European legislations are: SO2, NOx (NO/ NO2), Benzene, Ozone, CO/CO2 and particulate matter (PM10/PM2.5). Air pollution has diverse causes and sources. “Stationary sources” such as factories, power plants and smelters; “mobile sources” such as automobiles; and “natural 820