The Air Sensor Citizen Science Toolbox: A Collaboration in Community Air Quality Monitoring and Mapping

The use of small sensor technology is rapidly growing, especially in communities. EPA is actively supporting citizen science projects and responding to community requests for information and guidance on air sensor use. The Air... [ view full abstract ]

The use of small sensor technology is rapidly growing, especially in communities. EPA is actively supporting citizen science projects and responding to community requests for information and guidance on air sensor use. The Air Sensor Citizen Science Toolbox is being developed by the US EPA with resources and other tools that can be used by citizens to learn more about air sensor technology. The toolbox has an overarching goal of providing guidance and instructions to citizens to allow them to effectively collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate air quality data (www.epa.gov/heasd/airsensortoolbox). EPA’s Office of Research and Development is collaborating with EPA Region 2 and the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) in Newark, New Jersey, to develop a sensor package for use in the community. The Ironbound community is an environmental justice community made up of around 50,000 residents; the majority of whom are foreign born. The community is bordered by highways, rail yards, major seaports, an international airport, and hundreds of industrial facilities. It is believed that residents might be exposed to a variety of airborne pollutants from these sources. To raise awareness of local air pollution levels through citizen science-based monitoring, scientists involved in the Ironbound Community Pilot Project are:
•Working with community members to develop a study design for monitoring air quality in the Ironbound Community;
•Assisting the community in selecting appropriate pollutants for citizen scientists to monitor;
•Providing necessary environmental sensors, one-on-one training, and developing written directions for sensor use;
•Guiding community members on data analysis, data viewing options, and communication.
A future goal of this project is to translate these methods across other EPA regional and tribal offices so they can collaborate with their local community action groups and address similar issues. The Citizen Science Toolbox has the potential to be a valuable resource for such collaborations.