Editing Wildfire smoke PM2.5 concentration (section)

== Monitoring and Measurement ==
Monitoring wildfire smoke PM2.5 concentration involves a combination of ground-based air quality stations, satellite remote sensing, and atmospheric chemical transport models. Ground monitors measure ambient PM2.5 mass concentrations using standardized methods such as gravimetric filters and optical sensors. Specialized algorithms and chemical tracer analyses help attribute portions of PM2.5 to wildfire smoke versus other sources.

Satellite instruments provide spatially extensive data on aerosol optical depth and fire activity, which can be integrated with ground observations through data fusion techniques to estimate wildfire-specific PM2.5 concentrations. Models simulate emissions, transport, chemical transformation, and deposition of smoke particles to generate concentration fields.

Institutions such as the World Health Organization ([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Health_Organization WHO]) compile and curate databases of ambient PM2.5 measurements, including wildfire-related data. Research efforts continue to improve sensor calibration, smoke source attribution, and temporal resolution of measurements to better characterize annual mean exposures.

Within the SIGNAL system, wildfire smoke PM2.5 concentration is treated as a defined environmental signal whose boundaries and measurement conventions are described below.