M-Care: Online Air Quality Monitoring System Utilizing LoRa Communication Technology

Air pollution, particularly fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5),poses serious health risks and environmental challenges.Traditional monitoring stations, though accurate, are limited by high costs and sparse coverage.This study presents the M-Care system, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based air quality monitoring solution that integrates low-cost sensors with Long Range (LoRa) and Wi-Fi communication technologies for real-time data collection.The system measures PM1.0, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations along with temperature, humidity, and atmospheric pressure.It is supported by web and mobile applications developed on the Yakkaw platform, offering users intuitive access to geospatial visualizations and historical trends.Field deployment in Chiang Rai, Thailand, demonstrated that M-Care achieved a communication range of up to 200 m with 97% packet delivery under optimal conditions.Comparative analysis against reference-grade data from the Thai Pollution Control Department, OpenWeatherMap, and Dustboy sensors showed that M-Care had the lowest Mean Absolute Error (MAE) at 4.10 µg/m³.Statistical validation confirmed the system's reliability, with no significant difference compared to official data.These results establish M-Care as a reliable, scalable, and cost-effective solution for real-time air quality monitoring in both urban and rural contexts.