Grantee Research Project Results

2022 Progress Report: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Stakeholder-Driven Wildfire Smoke Monitoring and Messaging in Rural Nevada

EPA Grant Number: R840236
Title: Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Stakeholder-Driven Wildfire Smoke Monitoring and Messaging in Rural Nevada
Investigators: VanderMolen, Kristin , Son, Yeongkwon , McCurdy, Greg , Collins, Meghan , Wall, Tamara , Dragoni, Danilo , Grainey, Elizabeth
Current Investigators: VanderMolen, Kristin , Dragoni, Danilo
Institution: Desert Research Institute , Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
EPA Project Officer: Chung, Serena
Project Period: September 1, 2021 through May 13, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2021 through August 31,2022
Project Amount: $544,763
RFA: Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures (2021) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Endocrine Disruptors , Environmental Engineering , Early Career Awards , Air Quality and Air Toxics , Wildfires

Objective:

The goal of this project is to increase wildfire smoke risk mitigation in rural Northern Nevada communities through the development, implementation, and evaluation of stakeholder-driven monitoring and messaging. Specific objectives to achieve that goal include:

Install and evaluate the use of portable air quality sensors to generate accurate air quality data in remote rural communities.
Identify the knowledge gaps in rural communities related to wildfire smoke risk and create educational materials to inform messaging.
Evaluate the effectiveness of monitoring and messaging across the communities of study.

Progress Summary:

Toward objective 1, portable sensors (particulate matter, CO/CO₂, O₃, NO_x, and VOC) were evaluated in a DRI laboratory facility using reference instruments such as beta attenuation monitor and FEM equivalent gas monitors. The best performing sensors were selected from this evaluation and assembled into sensor packages for deployment at 11 sites across three rural Northern Nevada counties.

Toward objective 2, knowledge gaps in rural communities related to wildfire smoke risk were identified through the creation of mental models (including a series of semi-structured interviews conducted across the three counties as well as a confirmatory questionnaire conducted in one of the counties). An initial set of education/messaging materials – in both electronic and print formats – were created based on the identified gaps. An initial draft of a data interpretation guide was also created for use by project partners (i.e., county officials).

Toward objective 3, current monitoring QA/QC is targeting receipt and sensor data sampling. Additional QA/QC is being developed to monitor the quality of observed data, including reporting of real-time events or emerging problems.

Future Activities:

Toward Objective 1, current sensor data are available on the Western Regional Climate Center website, with ultimate data release to occur on the NDEP website (basic data with AQI values).

Toward Objective 2, the activities under this objective are now complete.

Toward Objective 3, monitoring criteria and routines for received sensor data are being implemented and evaluated (see above), and the data will additionally be evaluated against various reference instruments. The use and effectiveness of the messaging materials and data interpretation guide will be evaluated during the next wildfire season (2023).

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

Air quality monitoring, hazard risk communication, wildfire smoke risk mitigation, rural communities

Relevant Websites:

N/A

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The 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.