Advancing Mobile Air Quality Monitoring: Comparative Exposure Assessment and Development of a Geolocation Correction Method in Mexico City and Murcia

Abstract Book of the 6th World Conference on Climate Change and Global Warming

Year: 2025

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Advancing Mobile Air Quality Monitoring: Comparative Exposure Assessment and Development of a Geolocation Correction Method in Mexico City and Murcia

Daniel Alejandro Perez De La Mora, Ana Laura Jimenez Chavez, Francisco Esquembre Martinez, Antonia Baeza Caracena

ABSTRACT:

Air pollution in urban corridors is a critical threat to public health, particularly in cities where traffic dominates daily mobility. This study, a collaboration between Universidad de Murcia (Spain) and Universidad Iberoamericana (Mexico), combines comparative exposure assessment with methodological innovation to improve the reliability of mobile air quality monitoring. Measurements were conducted along two representative street types: a primary avenue with heavy traffic and a secondary street with moderate flows. A 2 km walking circuit, reflecting average commuting distances for cyclists and pedestrians, was repeatedly monitored during peak and off-peak hours. Data were collected at micro-scale resolution, with measurements approximately every five meters on both sides of the street, enabling fine-grained characterisation of street-level air pollution. A distinctive contribution of this project is the development of a custom QGIS plugin to correct GPS drift and signal rebound in narrow streets, common causes of dispersed and misaligned data points. By accurately repositioning measurements along the intended route, the plugin enables the generation of high-resolution concentration maps. It supports more precise comparisons of pollutant gradients across both sides of a street. This methodological package, micro-scale monitoring, geolocation correction, and spatial visualisation, strengthens exposure assessment and expands the toolkit for urban air quality research. Preliminary results reveal marked temporal and spatial contrasts, with pollutant peaks strongly associated with traffic flows on primary avenues. The cross-city comparison, between urban settings with distinct street geometries and emission profiles, highlights both shared patterns and local dynamics, underscoring the need for context-specific strategies for mobility and health.

Keywords: Exposure Assessment, Geolocation Correction, Micro-Scale Monitoring, Traffic Emissions, Urban Health