Advancing Atmospheric Pollution Monitoring with Airborne THz Spectrometer
Abstract
This study details the development and validation of an airborne THz spectrometer designed for real-time, remote detection of atmospheric pollutants. The platform couples a stabilized unmanned aerial system (UAS) with a high-resolution terahertz continuous-wave (THz-CW) laser source and detector, enabling flexible, in situ spectroscopic analysis of dispersed atmospheric vapours. This proof-of-concept investigation confirms the feasibility of UAS-THz-CW systems for spatially resolved environmental pollutant monitoring. The demonstrated capability of this terahertz sensor for remote, multi-component detection of atmospheric contaminants holds significant potential for advancing air pollutant monitoring technologies, providing a pathway for more effective and portable detection. This advancement can contribute to the necessary alert actions for minimizing contaminants impacting public and environmental health, thereby safeguarding human and ecosystem health.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2507.00943,
title = {Advancing Atmospheric Pollution Monitoring with Airborne THz Spectrometer},
author = {Candida Moffa and Alessandro Curcio and Camilla Merola and Daniele Francescone and Marco Magi and Massimiliano Coppola and Lucia Giuliano and Mauro Migliorati and Massimo Reverberi and Leonardo Mattiello and Massimo Petrarca},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.00943},
year = {2025}
}