Students in Macedonia Help Tackle Air Pollution

Through their IoT-driven sensing and display devices, a student team helps measure and promote awareness of pollution and air quality issues in the capital city of Skopje

Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, has long been known as one of the most polluted cities in Europe.  This is especially true in the winter, when temperature variations in the Balkan valley where Skopje is located create a heavy layer of smog that blankets the city.  The World Health Organization has measured Skopje’s pollution at the most dangerous level of “PM 2.5,” which refers to tiny particles just 2.5 micrometers in diameter that penetrate the respiratory system and bloodstream and have been linked to premature death and a range of diseases — often without victims knowing it until their condition has become advanced, leading the particles to become known as “silent killers.”  

Concerned for the residents of Skopje and especially area children, a team from the Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies Department at Saints Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje recently took aim at the problem by designing a system to measure and publicize local levels of air pollution.  Through their EPICS in IEEE-sponsored project (entitled “What We Breathe?”), the team is bringing air quality issues to the forefront in hopes of giving children and other community members a better chance for a long and healthy life.

“Though there have been organized protests and other efforts to help bring about change, pollution persists in Skopje,” shared project participant Andrej Ilievski, a student majoring in Computer Hardware Engineering and Electronics at Saints Cyril and Methodius University.  “Our goal is to provide people with information on current pollution levels so that they can make informed decisions regarding their exposure and take protective measures.  We chose to focus on schools first because children’s lungs and immune systems are still developing, making them one of our population’s most vulnerable demographics.”

“Young people rarely follow air pollution information or truly understand its impact on health,” agreed Dr. Josif Kjosev, Project Leader and Professor at the University’s Electrical Engineering and Information Technologies department.  “By displaying the levels of PM particles at their schools daily, we hope they’ll start paying attention and implement protective measures such as N95 masks.”

The project — which encompassed 10 University students and partnered with several area high schools and their faculty as well as the Society of Environmental Engineers of Macedonia — involved the team’s design and construction of a sensing unit and a display unit that share information through the Internet.  “Our sensing unit senses PM particles, temperature, and humidity and sends that information through a WiFi connection to a public server every five minutes, while our display unit pulls the data from the server and presents it at any designated place,” explained Dr. Kjosev, who noted that data can also be accessed through any Internet browser.

Among challenges they encountered, Dr. Kjosev said that the team’s use of microcontroller boards with low-range PCB antennae led to unexpected WiFi issues.  “We’d originally planned to install our sensing units on poles in the schoolyards, but we had to change the placement onto windows near WiFi routers, and in some places we had to use WiFi extenders or additional routers in order to connect the display units to the Internet,” he said.  Fabricating custom housings for their uniquely shaped display units also required the team’s strategic use of electric wiring channels combined with 3D-printed covers on the ends.

United in their mission, project participants gained hands-on experience in everything from embedded systems, programming, and 3D printing to the use of ThingSpeak, an open-source software that allows users to communicate with internet-enabled devices and helped the team relay information from their sensor units to their displays.  “We also learned other important skills, such as effective communication and coordination, what it means to be part of a team, and how to split different assignments between different sub-teams,” Ilievski said.

Promoting Air Quality Awareness

Since installing their sensor and display devices, all team members have been thrilled with the project’s impact on their high school-age audience.

“We created a survey to gauge the students’ awareness of air pollution,” Ilievski said.  “Over 600 students participated, and we found that installation of our devices has indeed increased their interest in and attention to air quality.”  As they prepare to survey other school populations on their experience with the units, the team continues to educate students on air quality issues by handing out informational leaflets about their devices, answering “frequently asked questions,” and sharing ways to protect against the dangers of air pollution.

According to Dr. Kjosev, “future University students will work on new versions of the devices, and we also hope to provide our devices to other interested schools” — including a secondary school in the town of Shtip, a primary school in Rankovce, and two primary schools in Municipality Karposh.

Looking ahead, “I hope that we can have air-quality sensors in as many schools as possible,” Ilievski said.  “The information it provides is the foundation for education on short-term preventative measures like anti-pollution masks, air purifiers, and staying indoors, but our ultimate goal is long-term environmental education that can shape the decisions kids make when they become adults.”

“We’d love to see air cleanness data available everywhere to everybody,” Dr. Kjosev agreed, “and for young people to protect themselves against air pollution and help promote implementation of North Macedonia’s Clean Air Agenda.  Hopefully the information we provide will help initiate some societal actions towards improvement.” 

For his part, Ilievski was excited for the chance to apply his classroom skills to a real-world problem.

“For most of my life, my academic success has been on paper, but thanks to our EPICS in IEEE project, I finally have a real, physical object that I helped create,” Ilievski said.  “We’re grateful for the opportunity to make this project a reality and be part of something bigger.”

This project was made possible by $8,645.00 in funding from the Instrumentation and Measurement Society (IMS), an EPICS in IEEE partner.  “The involvement of students in projects that improve air quality can lead to enormous benefits in terms of human health, economic development, and climate mitigation and adaptation worldwide,” confirmed Professor Sabrina Grassini, Vice President of  Membership for the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Society.  “IMS is happy and proud to support EPICS in IEEE projects that bring this issue to everyone’s attention and to work together towards a sustainable future.”

For More Information

For more information on EPICS in IEEE or the opportunity to participate in service-learning projects, visit https://epics.ieee.org/.  “EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) in IEEE” is an initiative which provides opportunities for students to work proactively with both engineering professionals, technological innovation, and local organizations/partners to develop solutions that address global community challenges.