Using Cellular Communication Networks To Detect Air Pollution

Abstract

Accurate real time monitoring of atmospheric conditions at ground level is vital for hazard warning, meteorological forecasting, and various environmental applications required for public health and safety. However, conventional monitoring facilities are costly and often insufficient, for example, since they are not representative of the larger space and are not deployed densely enough in the field. There have been numerous scientific works showing the ability of commercial microwave links that comprise the data transmission infrastructure in cellular communication networks to monitor hydrometeors as a potential complementary solution. However, despite the large volume of research carried out in this emerging field during the past decade, no study has shown the ability of the system to provide critical information regarding air quality. Here we reveal the potential for identifying atmospheric conditions prone to air pollution by detecting temperature inversions that trap pollutants at ground level. The technique is based on utilizing standard signal measurements from an existing cellular network during routine operation.