ORCID

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Low-cost particulate matter sensors have enabled new opportunities for exposure monitoring but require evaluation before application in epidemiological studies. This study assessed the performance of the SPS30 sensor integrated into the ARMIE portable monitoring sensor-node under controlled laboratory conditions.

METHODS: Sensors were co-located with two comparison instruments-the optical DustTrak photometer and the combined Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS)-across multiple aerosol sources, including candle burning, cooking, cigarette smoke, and clean air, under both regular and high-humidity conditions. Calibration performance was evaluated using leave-one-sensor-out and leave-one-source-out approaches.

RESULTS: The ARMIE node demonstrated strong agreement with the DustTrak ( r = 0.93-0.98) and maintained linear response characteristics across emission types. Calibration reduced mean errors and narrowed the limits of agreement. Agreement with the SMPS + APS was moderate ( r = 0.74-0.94) and characterized by systematic underestimation at higher concentrations.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the ARMIE node achieved high correlation with the DustTrak, demonstrating that low-cost optical sensors can reliably capture temporal variability in particle concentrations relative to mid-cost photometers.

Publication Date

2026-01-02

Publication Title

Sensors

Volume

26

Issue

1

ISSN

1424-8220

Acceptance Date

2025-12-23

Deposit Date

2026-01-16

Funding

Asbjørn Kloppenborg, Torben Sigsgaard, Clive Sabel, Louise B. Frederickson, and Tue Skallgaard were supported by BERTHA—the Danish Big Data Centre for Environment and Health—funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation Challenge Program (grant NNF17OC0027864). All work related to assembling and software programming for the ARMIE node was supported by ARMIE—Arhythmia, Myocardial Infarction & the Environment—funded by Karen Elise Jensens Fond. (Granted Karen Elise Jensens Fond 29-06-21). All chamber resources and laboratory expenses associated with the experimental work conducted were supported by the Swedish Research Council FORMAS (Grant Nos. 2021-02382 and 2024-01765).

Keywords

PM monitoring, SPS30, environmental epidemiology, exposure assessment, low-cost sensors, performance evaluation, sensor calibration

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