This paper presents a novel low-cost instrument that uses a sensor based on conductivity changes of heated tungstic oxide, which is capable of accurately measuring ambient concentrations of ozone. A combination of temperature steps and air flow-rate steps is used to continually reset and re-zero the sensor. A two-stage calibration procedure is presented, in which a nonlinear transformation converts sensor resistance to a signal linear in ozone concentration, then a linear correlation is used to align the calibration with a reference instrument. The required calibration functions specific for the sensor, and control system for air flow rate and sensor temperature, are housed with the sensor in a compact, simple-to-exchange assembly. The instrument can be operated on solar power and uses cell phone technology to enable monitoring in remote locations. Data from field trials are presented here to demonstrate that both the accuracy and the stability of the instrument over periods of months are within a few parts-per-billion by volume. We show that common failure modes can be detected through measurement of signals available from the instrument. The combination of long-term stability, self-diagnosis, and simple, inexpensive repair means that the cost of operation and calibration of the instruments is significantly reduced in comparison with traditional reference instrumentation. These instruments enable the economical construction and operation of ozone monitoring networks of accuracy, time resolution and spatial density sufficient to resolve the local gradients that are characteristic of urban air pollution.

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A cost-efficient technology for accurate surface ozone monitoring using gas-sensitive semiconducting oxide (GSS) technology, solar power, and automated cell-phone communications was deployed and validated in a 50 sensor test-bed in the Lower Fraser Valley of British Columbia, over 3 months from May-September 2012. Before field deployment, the entire set of instruments was colocated with reference instruments for at least 48 h, comparing hourly averaged data. The standard error of estimate over a typical range 0-50 ppb for the set was 3 ± 2 ppb. Long-term accuracy was assessed over several months by colocation of a subset of ten instruments each at a different reference site. The differences (GSS-reference) of hourly average ozone concentration were normally distributed with mean -1 ppb and standard deviation 6 ppb (6000 measurement pairs). Instrument failures in the field were detected using network correlations and consistency checks on the raw sensor resistance data. Comparisons with modeled spatial O3 fields demonstrate the enhanced monitoring capability of a network that was a hybrid of low-cost and reference instruments, in which GSS sensors are used both to increase station density within a network as well as to extend monitoring into remote areas. This ambitious deployment exposed a number of challenges and lessons, including the logistical effort required to deploy and maintain sites over a summer period, and deficiencies in cell phone communications and battery life. Instrument failures at remote sites suggested that redundancy should be built into the network (especially at critical sites) as well as the possible addition of a "sleep-mode" for GSS monitors. At the network design phase, a more objective approach to optimize interstation distances, and the "information" content of the network is recommended. This study has demonstrated the utility and affordability of the GSS technology for a variety of applications, and the effectiveness of this technology as a means substantially and economically to extend the coverage of an air quality monitoring network. Low-cost, neighborhood-scale networks that produce reliable data can be envisaged.

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