Grantee Research Project Results
2017 Progress Report: Shared Air/Shared Action (SA2): Community Empowerment through Low-costAir Pollution Monitoring
EPA Grant Number: R836182Title: Shared Air/Shared Action (SA2): Community Empowerment through Low-costAir Pollution Monitoring
Investigators: Griswold, Wendy , Erickson, Larry E. , Urbaszewski, Brian , Johnson, Cheryl , Menke, Donna , Merritt, Gail , Wasserman, Kim , Renas, Margaret , Salazar, Peggy , Maghirang, Ronaldo , Erdal, Serap
Current Investigators: Griswold, Wendy , Erickson, Larry E. , Maghirang, Ronaldo , Erdal, Serap , Johnson, Cheryl , Merritt, Gail , Renas, Margaret , Salazar, Peggy , Wasserman, Kim , Urbaszewski, Brian
Institution: Kansas State University , University of Memphis , Alliance for a Greener South Loop , Southeast Environmental Task Force , Little Village Environmental Justice Organization , People for Community Recovery , Respiratory Health Association , University of Illinois at Chicago , Delta Institute
Current Institution: Kansas State University , University of Illinois at Chicago , University of Memphis , Alliance for a Greener South Loop , Delta Institute , Little Village Environmental Justice Organization , People for Community Recovery , Respiratory Health Association , Southeast Environmental Task Force
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: May 1, 2016 through April 30, 2019 (Extended to April 30, 2020)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2017 through April 30,2018
Project Amount: $750,000
RFA: Air Pollution Monitoring for Communities (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Air
Objective:
1) Investigate that community-led research results in improved understanding of the pollution concentrations and the development of sustainable community-specific strategies to effectively monitor pollutants and analyze and communicate results,
2) Investigate cross-community coalition building,
3) Investigate the ability of the coalition to leverage resources to create future coordinated action plans to reduce exposure and mitigate health risks, and
4) Evaluate and document the collaborative community-based research process utilized.
Progress Summary:
The project period encompassed Phase 2 and focused solely on air monitoring (recruiting and training volunteers, conducting air monitoring, and collecting data in each of four communities).
Summer 2017 Monitoring – Community partner organizations conducted air monitoring in their neighborhoods during June-October. Community partners were trained in monitoring and equipment usage. Community partners recruited 8-12 volunteers each and community organizers provided volunteer training. Contaminants monitored were PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, using Purple Air and Airbeam and MetOne for monitoring PM2.5 and 10 and Terrier and Aeroqual 500 for monitoring NO2.
Co-location Study - a co-location study of project equipment was conducted at the Illinois Northbrook EPA site October-December. Data will be fully analyzed and results available in Fall 2018.
Winter 2018 Monitoring – Community partner organization conducted air monitoring in their neighborhoods during March-April. Community partners worked with 8-12 volunteers each, with 75-80% being returning volunteers from summer 2017. Refresher training was conducted by community organizers, with past volunteers helping to train new recruits. PM2.5 and 10 were monitored using Purple Air and Airbeam.
Data Management – A system for automating the data download for the monitoring devices was developed. A website was built on top of the database to allow the project organizers to access, map, and review their data any time from any web-connected device. Additional web features were developed to facilitate the review and evaluation of the monitoring data, such as time series graphs, daily summary statistics, spatial maps, heat maps, etc.
Future Activities:
Activities in Phase 3 include data analysis and interpretation, developing a guidebook for community air monitoring, and various community engagement activities to communicate data and results to community residents. Individual communities are developing tailored engagement plans that best suit their community needs and norms.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 30 publications | 3 publications in selected types | All 3 journal articles |
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Erickson LE. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality: two global challenges. Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy 2017;36(4):982-988. |
R836182 (2016) R836182 (2017) R836182 (2018) R836182 (Final) |
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Erickson LE, Griswold W, Maghirang RG, Urbaszewski BP. Air quality, health and community action. Journal of Environmental Protection 2017;8(10):1057-1074. |
R836182 (2017) R836182 (2018) R836182 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
adult education, air, capacity building, environmental justice, exposure, health effects, Midwest, monitoring, surveys, transformative learningRelevant Websites:
https://www.engg.ksu.edu/chsr/SA2%20Air%20Monitoring%20Project Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.