Field Evaluation of Low-Cost Particulate Matter Sensors for Measuring Wildfire Smoke.

Until recently, air quality impacts from wildfires were predominantly determined based on data from permanent stationary regulatory air pollution monitors. However, low-cost particulate matter (PM) sensors are now widely used by the public as a source of air quality information during wildfires, although their performance during smoke impacted conditions has not been thoroughly evaluated. We collocated three types of low-cost fine PM (PM) sensors with reference instruments near multiple fires in the western and eastern United States (maximum hourly PM = 295 µg/m).