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Leveraging a PurpleAir sensor network to inform air quality action in Phoenix, Arizona
Citation:
VonWald, I., J. Karoline, S. Frederick, Sue Kimbrough, B. Davis, N. Peterson, I. Domsky, R. Pope, AND A. Clements. Leveraging a PurpleAir sensor network to inform air quality action in Phoenix, Arizona. 2020 Annual Conference of the American Association of Aerosol Researchers, Raleigh, NC, October 05 - 09, 2020.
Impact/Purpose:
Low-cost air sensors have become very popular for use by the public and research community for monitoring local trends in ambient air quality. Their low cost also makes them appealing as a supplement to the regulatory air monitoring network. However, there have been very few analyses using low-cost air sensor networks to inform air quality action. EPA/ORD hopes to collaborate with governmental, academic, and industrial researchers in analyzing local air quality trends using low-cost air sensor networks. This presentation is an analysis of air quality using an EPA-deployed air sensor network, which will be valuable for the EPA and its partner agencies, sensor developers, researchers, communities, and the general public. The presentation will be made to researchers attending the 2020 American Association of Aerosol Researchers in Raleigh, NC (10/5/20 – 10/9/20).
Description:
Affordable air sensors are revolutionizing how air quality is monitored. While many air sensor studies have focused on measurement accuracy and data correction, an important use of sensors is informing air quality action, since sensors can be deployed in dense networks that can capture local variations in pollution. For example, air quality in Phoenix, Arizona is adversely affected by seasonal wood burning, especially in the winter. The local agency mitigates this issue through control strategies including fireplace change-out programs and information campaigns on when or what not to burn. Programs such as these might benefit greatly from the neighborhood-level air quality measurements derived from a dense air sensor network. Here, we use a distributed network of more than 30 PurpleAir particulate matter (PM) sensors deployed in Phoenix since November 2018 to identify local spatiotemporal air quality trends. We incorporate local meteorological data to focus on fine PM mass transport between areas where PM originates to areas that are most impacted, with three particular interests: (1) short-lived events that worsen air quality, such as fireworks from New Year's or other holiday celebrations, (2) seasonal events such as wood burning, and (3) unanticipated, unknown duration events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, in which travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders have been imposed. These results will demonstrate the potential of a distributed sensor network for tracking local air quality hotspots, improving understanding of how air quality is affected on shorter and longer time scales, and identifying areas that would benefit the most from control or mitigation actions. Disclaimer: Although this abstract was reviewed by EPA and approved for publication, it may not necessarily reflect official Agency policy. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.