Integration of the Apriori Algorithm into an Intelligent Air Quality Monitoring System: The Case of the Grand Marché in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo


Authors : Kadima Muamba Donatien; Mavula Kikwe Alexis; Kako Gbolo Etienne; Mudingumba Kibadi Louqman; Ilunga Mbuyamba Elisée; Mukeba Kalala Magloire; Masumbuku Kashala Willy

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 2 - February


Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/bdhh69nz

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3mwuburh

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26feb789

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.


Abstract : Air pollution is a major public health issue in African cities, where monitoring systems remain limited. This study proposes an intelligent air quality monitoring framework that integrates a normative index (Air Quality Index, AQI) and a data mining approach based on the Apriori algorithm. The system was deployed at the Grand Marché in Kinshasa, an area with high population density and heavy traffic. Low-cost sensors were used to measure concentrations of PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO, and NH₃. The data were stored in a relational database and then analyzed according to the dominant pollutant rule to calculate the AQI. The Apriori algorithm was then applied to extract association rules between pollutants and levels of air quality degradation. The results show a marked dominance of fine particles (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) in the degradation of the AQI. The association rule analysis reveals frequent co-occurrences between certain gases and episodes of poor air quality, which are invisible in a strictly normative approach. This research demonstrates the relevance of a hybrid model combining regulatory indices and data mining to improve multi-pollutant interpretation in African urban contexts.

Keywords : Air Quality, Apriori, Data Mining, Apriori Algorithm, PM₂.₅, Environmental Monitoring, Kinshasa

References :

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Air pollution is a major public health issue in African cities, where monitoring systems remain limited. This study proposes an intelligent air quality monitoring framework that integrates a normative index (Air Quality Index, AQI) and a data mining approach based on the Apriori algorithm. The system was deployed at the Grand Marché in Kinshasa, an area with high population density and heavy traffic. Low-cost sensors were used to measure concentrations of PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, NO₂, SO₂, CO, and NH₃. The data were stored in a relational database and then analyzed according to the dominant pollutant rule to calculate the AQI. The Apriori algorithm was then applied to extract association rules between pollutants and levels of air quality degradation. The results show a marked dominance of fine particles (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) in the degradation of the AQI. The association rule analysis reveals frequent co-occurrences between certain gases and episodes of poor air quality, which are invisible in a strictly normative approach. This research demonstrates the relevance of a hybrid model combining regulatory indices and data mining to improve multi-pollutant interpretation in African urban contexts.

Keywords : Air Quality, Apriori, Data Mining, Apriori Algorithm, PM₂.₅, Environmental Monitoring, Kinshasa

Paper Submission Last Date
31 - March - 2026

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