Air Quality Monitoring and Analysis for Sustainable Development of Solid Waste Dump Yards Using Smart Drones and Geospatial Technology

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The paper addresses a global health issue of air pollution caused by solid waste dump yards and highlights the limitations of traditional air quality monitoring methods and the benefits of IoT, drone technology, and GIS technology. 

1. The paper provides a comprehensive literature review on the use of GIS mapping to monitor air quality levels. The study focuses on the Kodungaiyur dump yard, which needs environmental monitoring due to high levels of environmental pollution and health risks.

2. It proposes the use of smart drone technology and geospatial technology for real-time air quality monitoring. The study found that gas concentration varied significantly at different heights and by month, which can help in identifying areas of high pollution concentrations.

3. The paper discusses the potential of GIS mapping in predicting air pollution levels and its implications for air quality management and policy-making and provides accurate and up-to-date information on air quality levels across large areas, which can help inform decision-making and policy development. 

4. The paper proposes a sustainable solution for air quality monitoring, which can be replicated in other similar sites and contributes to the development of real-time air quality monitoring systems using GIS technology, which is necessary to prevent the health risks associated with environmental pollution.

Though it has merit, it has following points to be improved in the revised version.

1. Provide specific details of how these technologies were employed for air quality monitoring and data collection are unclear. Please provide a more detailed explanation of the methodology used, including the type of drones, sensors, and IoT devices used.

2. The paper there is no information on the sampling methods, frequency of data collection, and duration of the study. Please provide more information on the data collection process to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.

3. The results and analysis section lacks sufficient detail to support the conclusions drawn. Please provide statistical analysis and visualization of the data.

4. you are using the GIS software for geospatial mapping is mentioned, but there is no explanation of how the mapping was conducted or the parameters used. Provide more information.

5. Some figures are not clearly visible. Re-Draw the figures i.e 1-3, 4, 6 and 8. 

6. Provide the simulation parameters table. and results comparisons tables.

7. Explain clearly outline what the research aims to achieve through real-time air quality monitoring using IoT, drone technology, and GIS.

8. Some parts of the content are repetitive and could be streamlined to improve the overall flow and clarity. Proofread the content to correct any grammatical errors or inconsistencies.

9. It would be helpful to include a section on future recommendations, where you suggest potential applications of the research findings, additional areas for investigation, and practical measures for mitigating air pollution in landfill areas.

10. Reference numbering are side by side please correct it. Follow the MDPI reference style guidelines.  

1. Provide specific details of how these technologies were employed for air quality monitoring and data collection are unclear. Please provide a more detailed explanation of the methodology used, including the type of drones, sensors, and IoT devices used.

2. The paper there is no information on the sampling methods, frequency of data collection, and duration of the study. Please provide more information on the data collection process to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.

3. The results and analysis section lacks sufficient detail to support the conclusions drawn. Please provide statistical analysis and visualization of the data.

4. you are using the GIS software for geospatial mapping is mentioned, but there is no explanation of how the mapping was conducted or the parameters used. Provide more information.

5. Some figures are not clearly visible. Re-Draw the figures i.e 1-3, 4, 6 and 8. 

6. Provide the simulation parameters table. and results comparisons tables.

7. Explain clearly outline what the research aims to achieve through real-time air quality monitoring using IoT, drone technology, and GIS.

8. Some parts of the content are repetitive and could be streamlined to improve the overall flow and clarity. Proofread the content to correct any grammatical errors or inconsistencies.

9. It would be helpful to include a section on future recommendations, where you suggest potential applications of the research findings, additional areas for investigation, and practical measures for mitigating air pollution in landfill areas.

10. Reference numbering are side by side please correct it. Follow the MDPI reference style guidelines.  

 

Author Response

Refer file

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Reviewer comments:

 

The paper aims to develop a smart drone technology to collect air quality data around a solid waste dump yard. In addition, the authors use geospatial technology to analyse real-time air quality data. They also explore the potential of GIS mapping in predicting air pollution levels and hot-spot areas including the implications of GIS mapping for air quality management and policy-making. Overall, the paper looks good. I recommend the paper to be published, however, I have some technical questions which needs to be justified before publication.

 

1.     Authors have used low-cost sensors (LCS) on-board the drone system for air quality monitoring (both gases and particulate matter). As we are all aware about the uncertainties in using LCS (even while using them at the ground level). I was expecting an inter-comparison of these sensors first at ground level with the reference instruments.

2.     Secondly, if possible by putting the sensors on-board drone and then comparing them with the reference instruments to check for the propeller effects, impact of meteorological parameters such as humidity, wind speed etc.

 

It would be nice to see the sensor’s performance with the reference instruments to check the accuracy of the measurements performed during the field campaign.

 

Other than that, the approach is quite good.

 

Author Response

File attached

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Summary/Contributions: This paper highlights the need of real-time air quality monitoring systems using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to acquire accurate and up-to-date air quality data. The study shows that typical air quality monitoring methods lack spatial coverage and sample collecting and analysis time. IoT, drone technology, and GIS can be used to create real-time air quality monitoring systems that cover enormous areas.

Comments/Suggestions:    1. The introduction provides a clear overview of the problem of air pollution and the importance of air quality monitoring. However, it would be helpful to provide some specific examples or case studies that demonstrate the application of GIS mapping technology in real-world air quality monitoring projects.
2. While the introduction briefly mentions the benefits and limitations of GIS mapping for air quality monitoring, it would be beneficial to provide more details on these aspects. What are some specific advantages of GIS mapping over traditional methods? Are there any challenges or limitations that should be considered when implementing GIS mapping for air quality monitoring?

3. The paper mentions the use of smart drone technology and IoT for collecting real-time air quality data around a solid waste dump yard. It would be interesting to elaborate on the technical aspects of how the drones and IoT devices are used to measure and transmit air quality data. What specific sensors or instruments are deployed on the drones? How is the data collected and processed?

4. In the section discussing the potential of GIS mapping in predicting air pollution levels and identifying high pollution concentrations, it would be helpful to provide some insights into the underlying methodologies or models used for prediction. Are statistical or machine learning techniques employed? What are some key variables or factors considered in the prediction process?

5. The paper mentions the implications of GIS mapping for air quality management and policy-making without providing specific details. It would be valuable to elaborate on how GIS mapping technology can inform decision-making and policy development. Can you provide some examples of how GIS mapping has been used to implement targeted interventions or evaluate the effectiveness of pollution control measures?

6. The paper mentions the integration of GIS mapping technology into air quality management strategies. It would be interesting to discuss any potential challenges or considerations related to the implementation and adoption of GIS mapping at a larger scale. How can GIS mapping be effectively integrated into existing air quality management frameworks?

7. It would be helpful to provide some information on the data sources used in the study. What types of air quality data were collected? Were there any challenges or limitations in accessing and analyzing the data?

8.  The authors need to add a short paragraph about the security aspects of drone communications.  For this purpose, they may include the following references (and others) in their study:    a. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9842403    b. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/6/2057

Can be improved

 

Author Response

File attached

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

All the comments mentioned in the last review is addressed and I am satisfied with the responses. I feel this paper is ready for publication.

Minor proof reading is required after acceptance.

Reviewer 3 Report

The authors considered my comments and suggestions.

Can be improved.