Environmental Monitoring for Industrial Sites (ÉMIS): A LoRa-Based Network for Real-Time Particulate Matter Monitoring in Rouyn-Noranda, Québec

In situ atmospheric particulate matter (PM) monitoring networks play a critical role in advancing understanding of air-quality dynamics across local to regional scales. In contrast to short-term measurement campaigns, sustained monitoring networks enable the characterization of long-term trends, episodic events, and source-specific variability. These capabilities are especially useful in industrial environments, where emissions are spatially heterogeneous, temporally variable, and chemically complex.
We present the design and implementation of the Environmental Monitoring for Industrial Sites (ÉMIS) network, a ground-based, distributed system developed to monitor industrial emissions in challenging conditions across Canada. Each station integrates measurements of particulate (PM₂.₅, PM₅, and PM₁₀) using low-cost optical sensors, meteorology, and visual documentation via a conditionally triggered camera. Stations are additionally equipped with a modified Wilson and Cooke (MWAC) bottle sampler to collect long-term, sector-representative samples for chemical characterization. Stations transmit data using long-range radio (LoRa) at two-minute intervals to a hub node, which aggregates and relays data via cellular or satellite communication to an online dashboard.
The initial field deployment consisted of fifteen stations distributed across a copper smelter in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, spanning more than 1 km². This case study demonstrates the network’s ability to resolve spatial gradients and localized emission signals, while dealing with complex topography and climate conditions. Analysis reveals persistent PM hotspots associated with heavy machinery traffic, ore handling operations, and slag cooling. Periodic PM spikes linked to train transport, as well as clear relationships between wind speed, wind direction, and plume occurrence were identified.
The multi-level data output from the ÉMIS network supports a wide range of applications, including PM source attribution, evaluation of emission dynamics, and integration with receptor and dispersion modeling. We highlight how adaptable, cost-effective ground-based monitoring networks can expand observational capacity in industrial environments and support advances in atmospheric science, air-quality management, and community-informed decision-making.