A Study of mobile air quality monitoring stations based on Narrow-Band Internet of Things Network: A case study for Ho Chi Minh City Smart Cities

Abstract

Narrow-Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is a promising technology deployed in Vietnam and over22 other countries for low-power, wide-area network applications. With air pollution posingsignificant health risks in large urban areas, thispaper addresses the problem of real-time air qualitymonitoring by leveraging NB-IoTtechnology. The research focuses on designing and implementing amobile air quality monitoring system capable of capturing and transmitting air pollution data usingasuite of sensors connected to an STM32L476VGT6 microcontroller. Data transmission is facilitatedvia a Viettel 4G SIM-enabled NB-IoT module, while air qualitymetrics such as PM2.5 and PM10 aredisplayed on an OLED screen and a web-basedinterface. The web platform, built with .netcore C#,offers real-time air quality data,health warnings, and related medical information. Experimentalresults demonstratethat the system achieves a high level of accuracy, with indoor and outdoor PM2.5and PM10 measurements differing by less than 5% and 9%, respectively. The systemoperates reliablyand stably under various conditions, providing a practical solutionfor monitoring air pollution.Future work will focus on integrating AI for optimizeddata management, enhancing security withSecure Sockets Layer/HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (SSL/HTTPS), and incorporatingautomated IoT-based solutions,such as air purifiers triggered by high pollution levels. Additionally,expanding thesystem to a smart city platform and incorporating sensors for gas leaks or fire hazardswould providea more comprehensive and automated monitoring solution.