Comparison of Calibration Models for Low-Cost PM2.5 Sensors in High-Concentration Occupational Environments

Details

• Journal Article:
  Annals of Work Exposures and Health
• Personal Author:
  Fang, Runcheng ; Collingwood, Scott ; Kelly, Kerry J. ; Sleeth, Darrah K.
• Description:
  Low-cost PM2.5 sensors are increasingly used for ambient and indoor air quality monitoring, but their performance in high-concentration occupational environments remains uncertain. This study compares linear regression (LR), polynomial regression (PR), and random forest (RF) calibration models for low-cost PM2.5 sensors operating in a controlled high-concentration chamber. This study assessed the calibration performance of low-cost aerosol sensors (LCS) by employing LR, PR, and RF models across various aerosol (PM2.5) concentration ranges. Conventional LR models demonstrated solid performance when dealing with lower concentrations (0 to 150 µg/m3), but their accuracy diminished when confronted with higher concentrations. On the other hand, RF models continuously demonstrated better performance over all concentration ranges, making them potentially more appropriate for occupational situations with higher and fluctuating aerosol levels. PR models exhibited intermediate performance, surpassing that of LR but falling short of the robustness demonstrated by RF. The study highlights the importance of using modern calibration methods such as RF in locations with high concentrations to enable accurate aerosol monitoring using LCS. These results could lead to the development of efficient and cost-effective methods for monitoring air quality using LCS for high concentration environments.
• Subjects:
  Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Air Quality Monitoring; PM2.5 Concentration; Low-cost Sensors; LCS; Sensor Calibration; Occupational Health Sensors; Particulate Sampling Methods; Particulates; Aerosols; Air Quality Monitoring; Analytical Instruments; Occupational Exposure; Exposure Assessment;
• Source:
  Ann Work Expo Health 2026 Apr; 70(3):1-12
• ISSN:
  2398-7308
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Utah ; Denver Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  12 pdf pages
• Volume:
  70
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071504
• Contact Point Address:
  Darrah Sleeth, Division of Occupational & Environmental Health, University of Utah, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, United States
• Email:
  darrah.sleeth@hsc.utah.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  University of Utah
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b41640a6c56a44414ada65617b2fcaba5428314a6a0e05f5ec3ef71fbe4ea5f09b58e54c71385c703f3a4c6d26b96377117b0712407c1abd3ffef0e0a25cdcec
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259101/cdc_259101_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 824.33 KB ]