According to World Health Organization, around 7 million people die every year due to diseases caused by air pollution. With the improvements in Internet of Things in the recent years, environmental sensing systems has started to gain importance. By using technologies like Cloud Computing, RFID, Wireless Sensor Networks, and open Application Programming Interfaces, it has become easier to collect data for visualization on different platforms. However, collected data need to be represented in an efficient way for better understanding and analysis, which requires design of data visualization tools. The GreenIoT initiative aims to provide open data with its infrastructure for sustainable city development in Uppsala. An environmental web application is presented within this thesis project, which visualizes the gathered environmental data to help municipality organizations to implement new policies for sustainable urban planning, and citizens to gain more knowledge to take sustainable decisions in their daily life. The application has been developed making use of the 4Dialog API, which is developed to provide data from a dedicated cloud storage for visualization purposes. According to the evaluation presented in this thesis, further development is needed to improve the performance to provide faster and more reliable service as well as the accessibility to promote openness and social inclusion. / Enligt World Health Organization dör 7 miljoner människor varje år på grund av sjukdomar orsakade av luftföroreningar. Med förbättringar inom Internet of Things under senare år, har betydelsen av system för miljösensorer. Genom att använda tekniker som molntjänster, RFID, trådlösa sensornätverk och öppna programmeringsgränssnitt, har det blivit enklare att samla in data för visualisering på olika plattformar. Men insamlad data behöver bli representerad på ett effektivt sätt för bättre förståelse och analys, vilket kräver utformande av verktyg för visualisering av data. Initiativet GreenIoT strävar mot att erbjuda öppen data med sin infrastruktur för hållbar stadsutveckling i Uppsala. I detta arbete presenteras en webb-tillämpning, som visualiserar den insamlade miljödatan för att hjälpa kommunen att implementera nya policies för hållbar stadsutveckling, och stimulera medborgare till att skaffa mer kunskap för att göra miljövänliga val i sin vardag. Tillämpningen har utvecklats med hjälp av 4Dialog API, som tillhandahåller data från lagring i molnet för visualiseringssyfte. Enligt den utvärdering som presenteras i denna rapport konstateras att vidare utveckling behövs för att förbättra dels prestanda för att erbjuda en snabbare och mer tillförlitlig service, och dels åtkomstmöjligheter för att främja öppenhet och social inkludering.

Many environmental compartments are acknowledged transmission routes for infectious diseases, antibiotic resistance, and anthropogenic pollution. The need for environmental sensing has consistently been stressed as a means to minimize public health threats caused by such contaminants. Many analytical detection techniques have been developed and applied for environmental sensing. However, these techniques are often reliant upon centralized facilities and require intensive resources. For these reasons their use can be challenging under resource-constrained conditions characterized by poor water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services. In this dissertation, we developed biotechnology- and/or nanotechnology-advanced analytical tools for environmental sensing that have potential for future application in regions with poor WASH services. First, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and nanopore sequencing were applied to develop assays for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, in wastewater samples. Second, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was applied for environmental detection of a range of analytes. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based SERS substrates were fabricated by droplet evaporation-induced aggregation on a hydrophobic substrate. These SERS substrates were then applied for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and other environmental contaminants (e.g., dye or hydrophobic organic contaminants). In a separate study, Au nanostructured SERS substrates were fabricated and applied for pH sensing in a range of environmental media. Finally, the environmental impact of an AuNP-based colorimetric detection assay was assessed via life cycle assessment. / Doctor of Philosophy / Environmental sensing is an important means to intervene against public health threats of infectious diseases and environmental contaminants. However, currently available analytical tools for environmental samples often require intensive resources that are not available in low- and middle-income countries. In this dissertation, we developed biotechnology and/or nanotechnology advanced analytical tools for environmental sensing that have potential future application applied under resource-constrained conditions. First, we applied loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and nanopore sequencing to develop detection assays for SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19, in wastewater samples. Second, we applied surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to develop assays for environmental analytes. We fabricated SERS substrates by evaporation-induced aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on a hydrophobic substrate and applied these for the detection of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and other environmental contaminants. In addition, Au nanostructured SERS substrates were fabricated and applied for pH sensing in a range of environmental media. Finally, we used life cycle assessment to quantitatively evaluate the environmental impacts of an AuNP-based sensing applications.