Environmental modelling: a tool for measuring the risks of air pollution

Environmental modeling for air pollution

Envionmental modeling:  :

The environment has been at the heart of climate challenges for several years and is a major determinant of human health, especially since it has now been demonstrated that some pathologies can be worsened by the environment. Therefore, analyzing the environment is necessary to evaluate its consequences.

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Environmental quality is becoming one of the key issues in companies, cities, real estate, and healthcare facilities.

In response to this need, the deployment of sensors measuring different environmental pollutants (particles, noise level, CO2…) is the most popular solution. Environmental sensors are excellent tools as they allow to obtain accurate measurements of different pollutants. However, these measurements only reflect the pollution at the sensor’s locations.

At Meersens we go further!

Our environmental data solution is based on two main components: modeling and sensor deployment.

Summary

What is environmental modeling?
Environmental modeling to analyze air quality 
Environmental modeling to analyze noise pollution
Environmental modeling to analyze the pollen levels
To go further…

What is environmental modeling?

Environmental modelling is a powerful technology which, unlike sensors, can estimate the level of different pollutants (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, fine particles, pollen, noise…) on a global scale. This tool represents a considerable asset, because it allows to go beyond sensor’s limitations (wider geographical coverage, costs, maintenance and upkeep, operating problems…) while keeping the reliability and accuracy of these. But the sensors are not forgotten; they are very important for modeling, both to re-specify the predictions and to evaluate accuracy, but also to assess the indoor pollution which is often very different from the outdoor pollution.

Environmental modelling: a tool for measuring the risks of air pollution

As mentioned above, modeling completes a sensor installation by its ability to estimate the situation between different sites that can be several hundred meters or even kilometers away. Deploying sensors completes the modeling by providing an empirical, true, data which is then used to improve the model and its performances.

Environmental modeling to analyze air quality

Thanks to our models, we can account for global air pollution on different pollutants:

Hourly estimations, at a resolution of up to 50mx50m in the metropolises, allow access to real time pollution, but also predictively over the next two days, at the street level. The estimated concentrations are associated with an air quality index divided into categories reflecting the impact that the environment can have on health. These health categories are designed to better understand one’s environment and to assist in decision-making.

Environmental modeling to analyze noise pollution

Noise level modeling at Meersens makes it possible to account for the noise level mainly generated by mobility (road traffic, trains, airports…) in metropolises. This modeling allows to access, for a given location, an average noise level for different time periods of the day: day (6am-6pm), evening (6pm-10pm) and night (10pm-6am), and this with meter-accuracy. A fourth reference level, called LDEN, translating the global noise level and penalizing night-time noise is calculated for decision-making purposes.

Environmental modeling to analyze the pollen levels

At Meersens, we also can report pollen levels over Europe and the United States. Thanks to our models, we can estimate the hourly count of the most prevalent pollens on both continents (grasses, birch, alder, ragweed…) with kilometer-accuracy. To assist in decision-making process, pollen counts are converted into a pollen index composed of 6 classes and considering the allergenicity of pollen grains of each species.

Pollen modeling

To go further…

Sensors can also be deployed by Meersens, indoors or outdoors, to complete the modeling on some specific locations. These sensors allow access to more accurate and complete data thanks to their ability to measure some pollutants, such as CO2, which are not modeled.

Sensors are key elements in modeling because they generate data that is then used to train our models regularly! To this purpose, at Meersens, we use the measurements made by our mBox Sentinel or mBox Guardian but also those made by the sensors deployed by governmental and regional organizations/communities. These measurements have a dual value because they are also used our model accuracy calculations.

Broadly speaking, environmental modeling and sensors are two very powerful technologies. Even though they are often put in opposition, they are in fact very complementary. Both tools meet different needs, but at Meersens we focus on their combination to get the best out of them.

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Use case

Smart Cities

Companies

Mobility

Construction

Healthcare

Meersens, analyzes the quality of your environment

Meersens is a positive impact environmental health company, mobilized to create a sustainable future, enabling environmental risk mitigation and positively contributing to the health and well-being of stakeholders – by providing customized environmental monitoring and prevention.

Meersens provides 360°, real-time, historical and predictive multi-pollutant monitoring and insight for any location with high accuracy, enabling you to mitigate risks and make better decisions.

Whether you are a company wishing to act for its employees, a city for its citizens, Meersens can help you!

Solution Meersens - Santé environnementale

Meersens est une entreprise à impact positif dans le domaine de la santé environnementale, mobilisée pour créer un avenir durable, permettant d’atténuer les risques environnementaux et de contribuer positivement à la santé et au bien-être des parties prenantes – en offrant une surveillance et une prévention environnementales personnalisées.

Meersens offre une vision et une surveillance multi-polluants à 360°, en temps réel, historique et prédictive, pour n’importe quel lieu, avec une grande précision, vous permettant d’atténuer les risques et de prendre de meilleures décisions.

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