Why Air Quality Matters

Each day, we consume roughly 0.2 kg of food, drink less than 2 litres of water, and breathe approximately 10,000 litres of air [Nazaroff 2018]. Yet, while most people would refuse a single glass of dirty water, 99% of the world’s population breathes air polluted beyond current WHO guideline limits [WHO 2021].

6.7M
Premature Deaths

Annual deaths from ambient and household air pollution exposure

90%
Indoor Exposure

Of total air pollution exposure happens indoors

99%
Above WHO Limits

Of the world's population lives where air quality exceeds guidelines

What we offer

Platform Features

Everything you need for professional air quality monitoring

Real-Time Monitoring

View live sensor data with minimal latency using MQTT protocol and time-series database

Secure & Private

JWT authentication, encrypted connections, and role-based access control for your data

Easy Setup

Browser-based firmware installation and WiFi configuration — no software required

Historical Analytics

TimescaleDB-powered time-series analysis with automatic compression and retention

Interactive Maps

View all sensors on an interactive map with real-time data popups

Affordable DIY Sensors

Build your own air quality sensor for €87–118 using ESP32, PM sensors, and 3D-printed enclosures

Step by step

How It Works

From hardware to data visualisation in four simple steps

1

Build or Buy Your Device

Assemble a DIY sensor using our 3D-printable enclosure, ESP32 microcontroller, and affordable sensors (PM, temperature, humidity). Total cost: ~€87–118.

View hardware guide →
2

Install Firmware

Download pre-built firmware and flash it to your device using your web browser. No software installation required — works directly via WebUSB.

Firmware installation →
3

Register Device

Connect to the device's WiFi, configure your network credentials, and register using a one-time key from your dashboard. Fully automated process.

Registration guide →
4

Monitor & Analyse

View real-time and historical data on interactive charts and maps. Explore air quality patterns across multiple time ranges.

Open dashboard →

Who it's for

Use Cases

From homes to research facilities — monitor air quality anywhere

🏠

Homeowners

Monitor indoor air quality and understand how activities affect your home environment

🏫

Schools

Ensure healthy classroom environments and teach students about environmental science

🌳

Community Groups

Create neighborhood air quality networks and advocate for environmental improvements

🔬

Researchers

Collect environmental data for scientific studies with production-ready infrastructure

🏢

Businesses

Assess and improve workspace environmental quality for employee health and productivity

🚜

Agriculture

Track greenhouse conditions and optimise growing environments for better yields

Who we are

About the Project

ParticularMatter is a comprehensive open-source IoT platform designed to make air quality monitoring accessible, affordable, and scientifically rigorous. While 90% of air pollution exposure occurs indoors, we lack adequate tools to measure and understand this hidden threat.

Our platform combines DIY sensor hardware with production-ready cloud infrastructure, providing researchers, educators, and communities with enterprise-grade monitoring capabilities at a fraction of traditional costs.

Built entirely on open-source technologies and licensed under MIT, ParticularMatter embodies the principle that environmental data should be accessible to everyone.

Research & Funding

How we started

EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions — PIONEER

We are involved in

EU Horizon Innovation Action — healthRiskADAPT

Get in touch

Contact

Get involved

Ready to Start Monitoring?

Join researchers, educators, and environmental enthusiasts using ParticularMatter to understand and improve air quality