GO AQS is excited to announce the launch of a new dedicated working group tasked with creating the first open technical standard for low-cost PM2.5 sensors (the electronic component). Target publication is set for 2027.

Why Matters

Air quality is dynamic. To capture localized pollution spikes, spatial variations, and real-time exposure, continuous, widespread measurement is essential. While low-cost PM2.5 sensors and monitors have expanded air quality monitoring globally, the market faces a core challenge: uncertainty.

Without uniform guidelines, low-cost optical particle counters often suffer from data drift, cross-sensitivities to humidity or temperature, and inconsistent factory calibrations. Low-cost sensors will never match the raw physical precision of high-end reference instruments, but they can and should operate under unified guidelines with a high degree of confidence.

What the Standard Will Cover

Developed under the broader Global Open framework, this standard focuses on two primary areas:

1. For Sensor Component Manufacturers: Establishing technical compliance criteria and standardized manufacturing procedures and calibration. This gives component makers a clear roadmap to design and produce reliable, compliant electronic sensor modules.
2. For Researchers & Evaluators: Providing an open, free, and fully accessible evaluation methodology. By giving testing bodies, academia, and regulatory agencies identical testing protocols, sensor evaluations will finally be directly comparable across institutions worldwide.

Whether these sensors are deployed in indoor air quality monitors or dense outdoor air monitoring networks, the standard will ensure that data remain trusted and traceable.

A Global, Cross-Sector Collaboration

The initiative brings together a multidisciplinary task force representing the entire sensor ecosystem:

• Sensor Manufacturers building the physical hardware.
• Sensor Integrators housing sensors within commercial monitoring stations.
• Academic Researchers evaluating performance and sensor physics.
• Governmental & Environmental Bodies focused on public health policy and data integrity.

Join the Working Group

The standard will be 100% open and free for all to access and implement. Building a standard that benefits the entire global community requires input from experts across the field.

If you have knowledge in low-cost PM sensor design, optical particle counters, atmospheric aerosol physics, or sensor evaluation methodologies, we want your voice at the table.

Get Involved: Contact the GO AQS team to join the working group or learn more about the project roadmap leading up to the 2027 release. Drop us a line through our contact form.