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SAIP2026

6–10 Jul 2026
University of the Western Cape
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
**Tours now open!** Registration is now closed - All registration payments are due before 23:39 SAST on 26 June.

SAIP2026 Conference

IoT Systems for Air Quality Measurements: Low-Cost Sensor Networks Using LTE/4G and LoRa Communications

7 Jul 2026, 17:20
1h 20m
Great Hall (University of the Western Cape)

Great Hall

University of the Western Cape
Poster Presentation Track F - Applied Physics Poster Session 1

Speaker

Mr Tshepang Pule (School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa)

Description

Air pollution poses a severe and growing public health challenge globally, with the World Health Organization estimating approximately 4.2 million premature deaths annually attributable to ambient air pollution.
Traditional monitoring infrastructure comprised of large, fixed reference
stations is costly, spatially sparse, and incapable of real-time,
high-resolution pollution mapping. This creates critical data gaps,
particularly in urban centres and resource-constrained settings across
Africa and the Global South.

The South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring (SACAQM), an
initiative led by Professor Bruce Mellado of the University of the
Witwatersrand and iThemba LABS, addresses these limitations through the
development and deployment of the $AI\_r$ system: a low-cost, IoT-enabled air quality monitoring
node. The system integrates the Sensirion SEN55 environmental sensor which is capable of measuring $\mathrm{PM}_{1}$, $\mathrm{PM}_{2.5}$,
$\mathrm{PM}_{4}$, $\mathrm{PM}_{10}$, VOC, $\mathrm{NO}_{x}$,
temperature, and relative humidity, with the Nordic Semiconductor
nRF9160 system-in-package, running on the Zephyr RTOS. Data transmission
is achieved via LTE/4G for real-time cloud connectivity, with LoRa communication additionally integrated to extend deployment to areas lacking cellular coverage.

This paper reviews the architecture and performance trade-offs of LTE/4G
and LoRaWAN communication protocols in the context of low-cost IoT air
quality monitoring, drawing on the SACAQM deployment experience. LTE/4G offers low latency (30-100 ms) and high throughput, suited to continuous real-time data streaming, whereas LoRaWAN provides long-range, ultra-low-power communication at reduced data rates (0.3-50 kbps), enabling deployment in remote or infrastructure-limited environments. A hybrid communication strategy leveraging both technologies is proposed as an optimal framework for scalable, wide-area monitoring networks. The $AI\_r$ system is calibrated against South African Air Quality
Information System (SAAQIS) reference stations, with active deployments
across Soweto and Braamfontein in Johannesburg, and systems shipped to
partner institutions all over the world. Integration of machine learning models, including
AI-driven $\mathrm{PM}_{2.5}$ forecasting and anomaly detection, further enhances the system's predictive and public health utility. The SACAQM initiative demonstrates that cost-effective, IoT-based,
AI-integrated sensor networks represent a viable and scalable approach
to closing the air quality monitoring gap in low- and middle-income
countries.

Apply for student award at which level: MSc
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Author

Mr Tshepang Pule (School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa)

Co-authors

Mr Brenton Munhungewarwa (University of Johannesburg, Kingsway Ave, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, South Africa and School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa) Prof. Bruce Mellado (Institute of High Energy Physics, Beijing, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19B Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, China, and School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa) Mr Donald Ngobeni (School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa) Dr Edward Nkadimeng (School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa) Ms Manal Karmoude (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa and Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco) Dr Ryan Mckenzie (School of Physics and Institute for Collider Particle Physics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits 2050, South Africa)

Presentation materials

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