Deploying a Comprehensive Air Quality Sensor Network in Elizabeth, NJ: Insights and Early Findings
GEDIMINAS MAINELIS, Catherine J. Hart, Jennifer Senick, Jackie Park-Albaum, John Evangelista, Clinton J. Andrews, Jie Gong, Sunyoung Kim, Abigail Andrews, Holly Josephs, Vijay Maddila, Deborah Plotnik, Jenna Myers, Yitong Li, Ge Gao, Carmen Rosario, Phaneendra Sivangula, Yousaf Shahid, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Abstract Number: 196
Working Group: Advancing Aerosol Science through Data Analysis Tools
Abstract
The detrimental health effects of ambient air pollution, particularly in disadvantaged communities, are well-documented. This has ignited interest among local environmental groups and residents in enhancing local air quality monitoring and disseminating this information to the community. This presentation focuses on the City of Elizabeth, NJ, a community with elevated air pollution levels that is encircled by a major international airport, a shipping port, a petrochemical refinery complex, and a major highway.
With funding from the US EPA and NSF, a partnership between the Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth (HACE), Groundwork Elizabeth (an NGO), and Rutgers University established a network of thirteen QuantAQ air quality monitors throughout the City of Elizabeth in 2024. The network monitors particulate matter (PM), ozone, and other gaseous criteria pollutants. A newly developed community dashboard displays air pollution data in HACE properties and provides actionable tips for residents to respond to air quality and thermal stress conditions. The outdoor network is supplemented by 23 indoor monitors (AirVisual) in participating households. At least one monitor of each type is collocated with the closest US EPA monitoring station.
The air quality data collected over approximately a year show variability among the monitoring stations, reflecting local and localized sources of air pollution. Average PM2.5 concentrations were about 15 µg/m^3, with spikes reaching as high as 150 µg/m^3. Ozone concentrations measured by QuantAQ had a correlation coefficient of ~0.85 compared to the reference instruments but maintained a 10-20 ppb positive offset during nighttime hours. Indoor PM2.5 concentrations varied considerably (3 – 300 µg/m^3 during a typical day), reflecting participants’ cooking and lifestyle habits, e.g., smoking.
In addition to discussing the observed air pollution data in the city of Elizabeth, this presentation will highlight the lessons learned during the installation and information dissemination from the network.