Evaluating Air Quality Using Low-Cost Sensor and Satellite Data at Schools in a Semi-rural US-Mexico Border Region Area of South Texas, USA

KABIR BAHADUR SHAH, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Amit U. Raysoni, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

     Abstract Number: 464
     Working Group: Instrumentation and Methods

Abstract
The Lower Rio Grande Valley (RGV) region of South Texas includes Hidalgo, Cameron, Willacy, and Starr counties, and is home to 1,399,446 people (Census Bureau 2022). This area is a majority-minority community with Hispanics/Latinos making up 91.8% of its population. The area has an employment rate at 50.88%, and median household income at $ 42,050. The inadequacy of air quality monitoring in the region is highlighted by the operation of just five Central Ambient Monitoring Sites (CAMS) overseen by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Out of the five, only two of them measure O3 and four measure PM2.5.

As per the latest annual PM2.5 standards set at 9.0 µg/m3 by the USEPA's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) announced on February 7, 2024, two counties of the region i.e., Hidalgo and Cameron counties are officially deemed non-compliant with the PM2.5 standards (USEPA, 2024). As part of a project funded by the North American Development bank (NADB) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), PM of various sizes were measured at nine elementary schools in the semi-rural town of Roma, TX on the U.S.-Mexico border region, using TSI Blue Sky Sensors. The findings of the study also include NASA satellite data and its integration with ground-based sensors. The findings of this research endeavor add to the inadequate body of air quality literature for South Texas where traditionally there has been a dearth of such air quality studies.