March 2022 – Are you interested in your community’s air quality or concerned with the potential impacts of roadway pollution on your health? Although air quality has generally been improving in Hillsborough County over the last several decades, nearly one-fifth of residents live within 1,000 feet of high-volume roadways where levels of traffic-related air pollution can be elevated. Studies also show that low-income communities disproportionately live near these roadways, potentially experiencing higher air pollution. While regulatory monitors in Hillsborough County are able to capture high-quality air pollution data, the regulatory network is too sparse to reflect the levels that many communities near roadways experience. So, what can be done to improve the data available and our air quality?
To bridge this gap, a research group from the University of South Florida (USF) College of Public Health, sponsored by the TPO, is working with the TPO and the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) to increase community access to air quality data in areas near roadways through the use of low-cost air quality monitors. These monitors are very versatile and less expensive than regulatory monitors, enabling measurement of air quality in a greater variety of locations. In addition, they can help raise awareness on the important public health topic of air pollution in our neighborhoods. To ensure high quality and reliable data, the USF research group is currently testing potential monitors to use for this project. For this work, the research team has installed low-cost monitors at the EPC near-road regulatory collection site to compare the data gathered with the official monitors.
Through this study, pilot air monitoring sites will be established in locations where traffic-related air pollution levels are expected to be high. By working with the public, these local sites will be designed to share air quality data and related information with community members, such as through real-time interactive websites like this one. Ultimately, we envision a network of low-cost monitors that provide air quality information to communities and planning agencies, informing future transportation planning and improving air quality and equity.
Learn more about air quality, low-cost monitors and how you can get involved on the project’s website: https://archive.planhillsborough.org/low-cost-air-quality-monitoring-pilot-study/
