Air Sensor Toolbox: Resources and Funding
EPA has provided guidance and other information to make decisions about using air sensors and conducting a citizen science project to measure air quality.
On this page:
- Air Sensor Guidebook
- Technical Evaluation Reports
- Reports for the Citizen Science Air Monitoring Project in Newark, N.J.
- Standard Operating Procedures for Air Sensors
- Recent Technical Findings
- Training Videos from Community Air Monitoring Workshop, July 9, 2015
- Funding Opportunities
- Related Resources
- Resources from the Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center
- Resources from the European Commission Joint Research Centre
Air Sensor Guidebook
The Air Sensor Guidebook is a comprehensive resource for anyone interested in monitoring local air quality. Topics covered include background on air pollutants and uses for air sensors, what to look for in a sensor, how to collect useful data using sensors, sensor performance guidance, and maintaining your sensing device.
Technical Evaluation Reports
These reports provide summaries of performance evaluations of several low-cost air sensors currently available on the market. The sensors were tested at EPA and compared to the gold standard regulatory monitors to determine how well they perform.
- Sensor Evaluation Report
- Next Generation Air Monitoring (NGAM) VOC Sensor Evaluation Report
- Evaluation of Field-deployed Low Cost PM Sensors
- Mobile Sensors & Applications for Air Pollutants
- Evaluation of Elm and Speck Sensors
Reports for the Citizen Science Air Monitoring Project in Newark, N.J.
These reports highlight a pilot project that involved EPA scientists collaborating with a community action group in Newark, NJ, to conduct a citizen science air monitoring project.
- Ironbound Community Citizen Science Toolbox Fact Sheet
- Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM): Quality Assurance Guidelines
- Citizen Science Air Monitor (CSAM): Operating Procedures
- Citizen Science Air Monitoring in the Ironbound Community Report
Standard Operating Procedures for Air Sensors
EPA scientists created operating guides for several low-cost air sensors listed below that are currently on the market. These guides are meant to assist users with operating, troubleshooting and calibrating the sensors.
- PerkinElmer Elm
- ToxiRAE Pro PID
- CairPol CairClip NM-VOC
- CairPol CairClip O3-NO2
- Met One 831
- UniTec Sens-It
- Dylos DC1100
Recent Technical Findings
- Community Air Sensor Network (CAIRSENSE) project: Evaluation of low-cost sensor performance in a suburban environment in the southeastern United States Exit
- Community Air Sensor Network (CAIRSENSE) Project: Lower Cost, Continuous Ambient Monitoring Methods, June 2015
- Air Sensors 2014: A New Frontier, June 2014 Exit
- Report on Wearable and Mobile Sensors for Transportation Research
- Sensor Technology - State of the Science, July 2014
Training Videos from Community Air Monitoring Workshop, July 9, 2015
- Video: Air Quality Monitoring and Sensor Technologies: Ron Williams, EPA
- Video: How to Start a Citizen Science Program: Liz Barry, Public Lab
- Video: Citizen Science Study Design: Rachelle Duvall, EPA
- Video: Data Quality Considerations Related to Lower Cost Advanced Monitors from an EPA Regional Office Perspective: Bob Judge, EPA
- Video: Overview of Quality Assurance for Citizen Science: Ron Williams, EPA
- Video: Short Term Measurements and Air Quality Messaging/Regulatory Requirements for Data: Kristen Benedict, EPA
- Frequently Asked Questions from the Community Air Monitoring Training Event
Other Resources:
- EPA Tools and Resources Webinar: Air Quality Monitoring and Community Science
- NACEPT 2016 Report: Environmental Protection Belongs to the Public, A Vision for Citizen Science at EPA
Funding Opportunities
Related Resources
- Village Green Project
- Real Time Geospatial Data Viewer (RETIGO)
- AirNow.gov
- Sensor Technology for the 21st Century
- Citizenscience.gov
- Citizen Science for Environmental Protection
- Federal Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Toolkit
Feature Stories
- Findings from 2013 EPA Sensors Workshop
- Citizen Science in Newark, New Jersey
- RETIGO: Complex Air Measurement Data Made Understandable
Fact Sheets
- Air Sensor Toolbox Flyer
- Air Sensor Evaluation Fact Sheet
- Citizen Science Fact Sheet
- Ironbound Community Citizen Science Toolbox Fact Sheet
- Citizen Science Air Monitoring in Puerto Rico Fact Sheet
- Monitoreo del Aire en Puerto Rico a través de la Ciencia Ciudadana
- Real-time Geospatial Data Viewer (RETIGO)
- Sensor Scale Pilot Project: Fact Sheet
- CitySpace Air Sensor Network Project Fact Sheet
- South Coast Air Quality Management District Project Fact Sheet
Blogs
Slideshows
Podcasts
- DIY Air Quality Monitoring
- Air Quality Monitoring for Citizen Science
- Federal News Radio: Interviews on Citizen Science Exit
- EPA leverages help of citizen scientists Exit
- Putting low-cost sensors in the hands of citizen scientists Exit
- New technology assists citizen scientists Exit
- Citizen science can influence environmental policy Exit
- Citizen science exposes environmental violations Exit
- How to build an environmental toolbox Exit
Videos
- Be Smart, Protect Your Heart from Air Pollution
- Citizen Scientists and Personal Air monitoring
- Science to Protect the Air We Breathe
- USEPA Scientists at Work: Measuring Roadway Pollutants
Press Releases and News
- North Carolina Health News: Making Air Pollution Visible
- EPA News Release, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy Joines Senator Booker, Mayor Baraka and ICC to Visit Newark's Community Air Pollution Project which Utilizes EPA Science, March 3, 2015
- NC Science Now: Sense of Air Exit
- NextCity.org Exit
- SciStarter Blog Exit
Resources from the Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center
These resources provide field-conducted sensor performance evaluations on multiple low-cost sensors currently available on the market. Detailed reports as well as condensed versions are available for viewing.
The following links exit the site Exit
- Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC) main web page
- AQ-SPEC Field Evaluation Reports
Resources from the European Commission Joint Research Centre
The European Commission's Joint Research Centre Publications Repository includes resources on field and laboratory-conducted sensor performance evaluations on multiple low-cost sensors currently available on the market, as well as a protocol on how to evaluate and calibrate low-cost sensors for monitoring air pollution.