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Pollution Detection

Automobiles release almost 1/5 of pollutants in the United States. The consequences of poor air quality are already stark. In San Bernardino County, CA, recent years have seen a 15% increase in asthma-related hospitalizations, correlated with an increase in transport-related air pollution.
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High automobile traffic has greatly diminished air quality in Southern California.
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In the mid-1990s, Wake County, North Carolina employed RS to analyze the degree of harm imposed by emissions from government-operated buses: school buses and buses utilized by airport transit services. The objective was to discern whether or not a specific type of bus was responsible for most emissions and which type of pollutants were emitted. Using a sensor from a stationary vehicle, along with a camera to record individual vehicles, infrared imagery captured emissivity data. 

Bus Emissions

A schoolbus passes the "platform" - a van with an infrared sensor - during the 1997 Wake County emissions study.
The specialized sensors united an "infrared source" and sensors to identify materials such as mercury on which the researchers were focusing. This allowed for identification of pollutants. Read the full study here. 

Aircraft Emissions 

Air travel is increasing every year, and accordingly, it is increasingly critical to measure emissions. Researchers in Europe harnessed the capabilities of infrared sensors to identify pollutants such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide in order to add to the limited knowledge of how engine emissions function.
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Radiation is released by gasses which enables passive sensors to detect it; alternately, active thermal infrared sensors release their own wavelengths to identify gases. This method, utilizing infrared as well as other sensors was able to clearly discern differences in emissions between older aircraft.
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