Through the SmartCatalonia Lab, our company carried out an environmental monitoring study. The SmartCatalonia Lab project is part of the innovative initiatives of the Department of Digital Policies of the Generalitat de Catalunya in the framework of the SmartCatalonia strategy and aims to promote the pilot testing of smart solutions in real environments in order to solve municipal challenges.
With our technology, a pilot in the city of Girona was carried out from November 2018 to May 2019. The initial phase of the pilot consisted in comparing the performance of the Bettair® nodes against the only traditional air quality monitoring station located in the “Escola de Música” of Girona. The nodes performed as expected obtaining high correlation (r>0.95) for all measured gaseous pollutants (NO, NO2, O3 and CO). Other pollutants such as PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were also compared with good results.
The second phase of the pilot, from February 14th to May 16th, four environmental monitoring nodes were installed in different locations of the city: Municipal Music School (neighbourhood of the Eixample), in the Migdia Park (Eixample neighbourhood), in Plaça de l’Hospital (Neighbourhood Barri Vell-Mercadal) and in the Núria Terés i Bonet park (Santa Eugènia neighbourhood).
The nodes have measured uninterruptedly between 14 February and 16 May the levels of atmospheric pollutants. Specifically, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), nitrogen monoxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and suspended particles (PM2.5 and PM10) have been analysed. The temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure and environmental noise have also been analysed, thanks to the technology based on Bettair gas sensors. Once the measure has been completed, the system has allowed the data to be consulted in real time using a centralized viewing platform.
The participation of the City Council of Girona in the pilot test of SmartCatalonia Lab has allowed it to have new environmental data in real time, some of them, such as the O3, unpublished until now. With regard to our company, our contribution in this project confirms the robustness and reliability of our air quality solution and ensures that its functionalities are suited to large urban environments.
The Mayor of Girona, Marta Madrenas, stressed that “with this pilot test we have achieved two objectives: on the one hand, we know more about the quality of the city’s air; And on the other, we work with new technologies to improve our environment, in this case sustainability. We want to move towards a technology city model, and with this project we can also demonstrate to the public that we have good air quality in Girona, and that we can be calm. “
For his part, the Minister of Digital Policies and Public Works, Jordi Puigneró, has remarked that “technology can be a great ally in the fight against air pollution and sustainability management. Now, some administrations must bet, believe it and implement active policies. As is the case of the Government of Catalonia -which has made the fight against climate change its flag- and also the City Council of Girona.”
