Temperature Sampling Campaign
Summer 2021:
In summer 2021, we installed sensors inside and on rooftops of Chelsea buildings to collect indoor and outdoor temperatures through the hottest summer months.
Above: C-HEAT principal investigators Patricia Fabian (ScD) and Madeleine Scammell (DSc) and research assistant Julie DeLange (BU UROP student) installing outdoor HOBO sensors in late May 2021.
Below: Temperature monitors installed in the field on trees and sidewalks.
GreenRoots’ Environmental Chelsea Organizers Summer 2021 Campaign
Summer 2020:
The summer 2020 field study included a temperature sampling campaign, with indoor and outdoor sensors placed around the Chelsea and East Boston area. Sensors collected information on temperature, relative humidity, and dew point in August and September.
Indoor Temperatures
We recruited participants from 22 households in Chelsea and East Boston so we can understand drivers of indoor temperatures. In addition to collecting questionnaire data, we measured indoor household temperature and personal temperature exposure using sensors like the ones pictured below. We are using this information to understand how heat impacts residents’ health and sleep, as well as how people adapt during heat waves. This will help us design interventions in collaboration with advisory board members.
Indoor monitoring equipment included HOBO devices and FitBits.
Outdoor Temperatures
In partnership with the City of Chelsea, we installed 30 temperature sensors in outdoor locations to record temperature in the summer of 2020. We mapped the data to better understand urban heat islands in Chelsea and East Boston, and are using it to understand heat exposure for households enrolled in the field study.