A Low-Cost, Easy-to-Use Toolkit for Monitoring Local Air Quality

In collaboration with the UNDP Global Centre in Singapore, AirGradient has created a powerful yet affordable air quality monitoring toolkit — designed especially for communities that often lack access to reliable and accurate air data.

What makes this toolkit different? You don’t need to be an engineer or have any technical background to use it. It simplifies complex but essential tasks like sensor calibration and data quality control, making them accessible to everyone.

With simple, step-by-step guides, illustrated manuals, and helpful video tutorials, anyone can plan, build, and manage a local air quality monitoring network. Developed through the UNDP Open Innovation Platform Challenge, this solution is made to scale and built to empower.

Organized into three key phases, the AirGradient-UNDP Toolkit is structured as a step-by-step roadmap that empowers users — with minimum technical expertise — to set up an affordable and accurate air quality monitoring network.

To the Toolkit Content

What Is It?

The Low-Cost Hyperlocal Air Quality Monitoring Toolkit was developed to make air quality data more accessible, empowering communities to setup a high quality, yet affordable air quality monitoring network.

Democratize Access

The AirGradient-UNDP Toolkit tackles unequal access by offering an affordable, accessible solution. It breaks down barriers, putting monitoring capabilities within reach of communities, especially in developing regions, ensuring local environmental insights aren't limited by resources and fostering data equity.

Enable Anyone

Designed for ease of use, the toolkit offers comprehensive guidance through clear instructions and videos. This enables diverse users like municipalities, NGOs, and community groups, even without prior expertise, to successfully set up and manage their own air quality monitoring networks effectively.

Build Local Capacity

More than just hardware, the toolkit builds sustainable local skills by guiding users through defining goals, setup, data analysis, and long-term maintenance. This comprehensive approach equips local actors with the knowledge for ongoing network management, fostering self-sufficiency in tackling air quality issues.

Empower communities

The toolkit empowers communities with reliable, local data for informed action. This evidence supports advocacy, influences urban planning and policy, and helps mobilize residents for cleaner air, turning awareness into tangible improvements for healthier environments.

Governments

Government officials and policymakers can use air quality data to support infrastructure improvements and pollution control measures.

Municipalities

Municipalities can use the toolkit to establish affordable monitoring networks for data-driven public health policies and environmental regulations.

Advocacy groups/NGOs

These groups can use air quality data to fuel awareness campaigns and mobilize community initiatives.

Private Companies

Businesses can use air quality data to improve workplace environments, ensure regulatory compliance, and support corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Introduction to the Toolkit

Watch this video to learn about the Air Quality Monitoring Toolkit and how it can help your community

Capacity Building

No experience needed on air quality monitoring! Let the toolkit guide you from page one.

Affordability

Unlike traditional air quality monitoring, the toolkit is a cost-effective solution aimed for scale.

High Data Quality

Achieve accurate and reliable measurements without needing technical expertise.

Data Ownership

Unlike other manufacturers, AirGradient gives you clear ownership of your data.

What’s Inside the Toolkit?

The toolkit provides a complete and self-contained solution for establishing a hyperlocal air quality monitoring network.

Air Quality Monitors
The toolkit builds upon the AirGradient air quality monitors which are one of the most affordable and accurate monitors available.
Documentation and Guides
More than 20 chapters in 3 sections covers all aspects that need to be known to setup a robust air quality monitoring network.
Videos
Videos are highlighting important aspects of setting up the monitoring network, e.g. how to deploy the monitors.
Dashboard & Analytics
Access to the AirGradient dashboard, analytics and calibration tools allow running a high performant network with low costs.

Access the Toolkit

Section 1: Planning

This stage focuses on defining the air quality monitoring strategy by identifying key air pollution challenges, selecting monitoring locations, and establishing clear objectives. It ensures that resources are used efficiently and that community engagement is maximized for impactful data collection.

Planning

Section 2: Set Up

This phase provides step-by-step guidance on installing, configuring, and calibrating the air quality monitors, making it accessible even for users with no technical background. With illustrated manuals and video tutorials, it simplifies the process of deploying a functional and reliable monitoring network.

Set Up

Section 3: Operations

This section covers ongoing maintenance, calibration, and data analysis to ensure accuracy and usability of collected air quality data. It also tools for visualization, data sharing, and capacity building, empowering users to translate insights into meaningful actions for cleaner air.

Operations

Why we care about Air Quality

AirGradient started as a volunteer project to help a school in Northern Thailand monitor the air quality in classrooms during the highly polluted burning season. From the beginning, we have worked with students and educators, from building hardware that increases awareness in the area of air quality and educating about the health impacts of pollutants, to empowering the positive changes that can be made to reduce air pollution.

The experience and expertise that we gained designing and manufacturing our professional AirGradient ONE RESET Air Accredited Monitor has been put into our open-source / open-hardware air quality build instructions and kits.

The industry-grade sensor modules used in our open hardware monitors are the same modules found in pre-built monitors costing hundreds of dollars. As a result, you get highly accurate data quality, essential to having a reliable understanding of the air around you.