Development and Assessment of a Hand-Held Dust Measuring Device

Dust assessment in agricultural lands generally entails the use of devices and methods that can enumerate the concentration of dust particles. Dust assessment can assist in evaluating the impact of farm processes on air quality, weighing the efficiency of dust management techniques, and monitoring conceivable health concerns for workers and adjacent populations. The study aimed to develop a hand-held sensor-based dust measuring system with the integration of an optical dust sensor with Arduino nano for continuous monitoring of dust concentration. The device was successfully tested and dust output of the developed device showed positive correlation with the dust intensity in the laboratory setup. Overall dimensions of the device were 90 × 73 × 78 mm (l × w × h) and weighed 275 g. The device could measure dust concentrations in the range of 0–100 mg m⁻³.