KATOWICE, POLAND (Reuters) — Scientists develop pollution-detecting drones to increase precision of measurements in one of Poland’s most polluted regions.
Polish engineers have developed what they have called a “flying laboratory” – a drone-based platform to test air pollution in one of Poland’s dirtiest areas.
Dust, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations can be measured remotely through the device. Engineers at the Central Mining Institute in Katowice say it can measure even the smallest concentration of pollutants in the air normally invisible to the naked eye.
One of its designers, Doctor Adam Szade, told Reuters it’s an innovative way to fight health threats.
“This gives us the ability to measure the main parameters that come from low emissions and are a threat to the environment. This is mostly dust, especially inhalable dust particles, because they represent a basic threat to our health,” he said.
Engineer Marcin Fisior explained to Reuters how a prototype of the device works.
“First the aspirator and sensors suck the smoke into their respective chambers. Next, laser sensors analyse our samples and the microprocessor calculates all results and sends them through the transmission system to our server,” he said.
Air pollution in Poland is felt particularly in the south near ski resort towns such as Zakopane in the Tatra Mountains where homeowners often neglect environmental rules.
The use of coal, and sometimes garbage, to heat houses makes Poland’s air the most polluted in Europe, according to local government data.
Poland is facing prosecution at the European Court of Justice for its slowness to address the issue of poor air quality caused by extensive coal-burning in homes.
The environment ministry acknowledges the problem but says the situation is gradually improving because of modernization of heating systems and other energy-efficiency measures for homes.
Scientists are now working on making the mobile lab prototype smaller, so that it can be carried by smaller drones.
Doctor Adam Hawerla said using drones was particularly advantageous in adverse situations.
“Unfortunately, very often, weather conditions or exposure to buildings around a location have blurred measurements or hindered interpretations. With the drone we can make the measurement at any place and at any time,” he said.
According to the European Commission around 400,000 people per year die prematurely across the European Union because of pollution.
