TRAP and traffic data for Oshawa and Allen Road

This dataset includes original data used in the creation of the article titled “Localized Variabilities in Traffic-related Air Pollutant Concentrations Revealed Using Compact Sensor Networks”. Supporting reference data can also be found in the reference dataset “Reference PM2.5 and Wind Data for Oshawa and Allen Road” (doi: 10.17632/yw49w4d7v2.1). The aim of this research was to demonstrate the usefulness of real-time air quality monitoring in the context of Smart City infrastructure. Data collected before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Oshawa, Ontario includes 2-minute averaged TRAP (CO, NO, and PM2.5) concentrations measured by AirSENCE and hourly traffic volume data measured by Northline Fox traffic counters. The data demonstrates a direct relationship between decreased traffic volumes and concentrations of TRAP. Conversely, road construction was correlated with higher levels of TRAP while causing reduced traffic volumes, demonstrating the insufficiency of conventional sensors for reliably inferring air quality conditions and the need for compact air quality sensor networks.
Other data included in this dataset were collected in 2021–2022 on opposite sides of Allen Road, a busy commuter route in Toronto, Ontario. Data here include 10-minute averaged TRAP (CO and NO) concentrations measured by AirSENCE. This part of the study highlighted the importance of local meteorological conditions with respect to the dispersal of TRAP as well as the applicability of compact air quality sensor networks for supporting in-depth studies of TRAP emission sources and human exposure pathways.