A chemist from the University of the Philippines Diliman helped develop the country’s first locally made air quality monitoring device, called the Robust Optical Aerosol Monitor (ROAM).
According to Eunice Jean C. Patron of science.upd.edu.ph, ROAM was developed in 2014 by Dr. Len Herald Lim of the UP Diliman Institute of Chemistry and Engr. Paul Alexander Darvin of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
The Filipino-made device is designed to measure airborne particles and monitor air quality even in dusty and highly polluted areas.
According to Dr. Lim, ROAM works like an “air microscope,” counting tiny particles in the air rather than relying on the small pinhole used by many conventional air monitors.
ROAM has been tested in several locations, including Cauayan, Isabela, where it operated for six to eight months in a dusty environment without major issues. It was also deployed in South Cotabato, where it remained functional after being left unattended for nearly six months.
Dr. Lim said the device’s performance is comparable to air quality monitors used by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) and is relatively inexpensive to repair.
According to Dr. Lim, local government units (LGUs) have become the primary users of the technology, with some adopting the system through referrals.
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