Short-Term Variability of Trace Gases and Particulate Matter in the Antarctic Peninsula Atmosphere Using a Low-Cost Air Sensor

High-resolution air pollutant measurement in Antarctica remains limited, particularly for short-term variability and episodic enhancements associated with local field activities, atmospheric processes, and long-range transport. This study presents minute-scale observations of trace gases and particulate matter collected during a short Antarctic field campaign from May to June 2023. The dataset includes NO2, O3, CO, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10, with supplementary total volatile organic compound (TVOC) measurements available for May. Raw observations were quality-organized, aggregated to hourly and daily means, and examined for temporal variability, diurnal behavior, pollutant relationships, and short-duration pollution events. Across 58,652 valid observations, surface O3 showed relatively stable concentrations compared with the other pollutants, while NO2, CO, SO2, PM2.5, and PM10 displayed episodic enhancements. Median concentrations were 11.05 ppb for NO2, 38.17 ppb for O3, 30.61 ppb for CO, 0.01 ppb for SO2, 6.29 µg m−3 for PM2.5, and 7.29 µg m−3 for PM10. PM2.5 and PM10 were strongly correlated, with a median PM2.5/PM10 ratio of approximately 0.96, suggesting that fine particles contributed substantially to particulate mass during much of the campaign. Event detection based on pollutant-specific hourly 95th percentile thresholds identified 142 single-pollutant enhancement events and 30 multi-pollutant concurrent events. TVOC observations were highly zero-inflated, with only about 1.9% nonzero readings and a short-lived elevated episode around 9 to 10 May; therefore, TVOC was treated as ancillary and interpreted cautiously. These results demonstrate that even short Antarctic field campaigns can capture meaningful high-resolution pollutant variability and episodic enhancements. Because reference-grade co-location was not available under Antarctic conditions, the reported concentrations are interpreted as calibrated sensor estimates, with emphasis placed on temporal variability rather than reference-equivalent absolute concentrations. The results apply only to the May–June 2023 campaign and are not intended to represent seasonal, annual, continent-wide, or long-term Antarctic air quality; they provide useful observational evidence of short-term atmospheric variability in a remote polar environment and highlight the importance of transparent event detection and cautious interpretation of short-duration sensor records.