e Air Pollution Monitoring and Outreach Program for Your Community 
Disclaimer: This document has been reviewed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) an

for publication. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or re

tion of their use.
Planning and Implementing a Real-time Air

Pollution Monitoring and Outreach Program

for Your Community

The AirBeat Project of Roxbury, Massachusetts

National Risk Management Research Laboratory

Office of Research and Development

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Cincinnati, OH 45268

50% Recycled/Re

Printed with veget

paper that contain

50% post-consum

2processed chlorin
gfy f f 

Lee Alter, Western Governors’ Association (formerly of NESCAUM)

Jennifer Charles, Charles Consulting

Matthew Goode, Suffolk County Conservation District

Patrick Kwon, NESCAUM

Jerry Sheehan, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Jodi Sugerman-Brozan, Alternatives for Community & Environment

Gratitude is also expressed to the following individuals, who served as reviewers of the early drafts of

this handbook:

Norm Beloin, U.S. EPA Region I

Fred Corey, Aroostook Band of Micmacs

James Hirtz, U.S. EPA Region VII

Swati Prakash, West Harlem Environmental Action, Inc.

Richard Wayland, U.S. EPA, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

ii
1.4 For More Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

CHAPTER 2 HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

CHAPTER 3 ABOUT GROUND-LEVEL OZONE AND FINE

PARTICULATE MATTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

3.1 About Ozone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

3.2 About Fine Particulate Matter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

3.3 About Black Carbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

3.4 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Ozone and Particulate Matter . . . 

3.5 Existing Monitoring Programs for Ozone and Particulate Matter . . . . . . . . . . . 

3.6 The Air Quality Index—A Tool for Reporting Air Quality Information . . . . . . 

3.7 For More Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

CHAPTER 4 BEGINNING THE PROGRAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.1 Program Structure: Overview of a Community-Based

Air Pollution Monitoring and Outreach Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.2 Selecting Program Partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.3 Identifying Potentially Impacted Communities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.4 Getting To Know the Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

4.5 Estimating Program Costs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

CHAPTER 5 MONITORING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

5.1 Overview of AirBeat’s Monitoring Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

5.2 Key Steps in Designing and Implementing a Monitoring System . . . . . . . . . . . 

5.3 For More Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

CHAPTER 6 DATA MANAGEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

6.1 Introduction to Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

6.2 Overview of AirBeat’s Data Management Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

6.3 Hardware Components Used to Operate the Data Management Center. . . . . . 

6.4 Software Components Used to Operate the Data Management Center . . . . . . 

6.5 Creating the AirBeat Web Site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

6.6 Creating the Telephone Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
APPENDIX C THE ST. LOUIS REGIONAL CLEAN AIR PARTNERSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

GLOSSARY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

iv
Introduction 

years in children under 5 years of age.

The problem is even worse among some inner-city populations. In certain

neighborhoods of New York City, for example, one out of every five

children has asthma. In Roxbury, an urban neighborhood in the heart of

Boston, the asthma hospitalization rate is annually among the highest in

Massachusetts (in 1992, it was five times the state average). Although

people of all ages, races, and ethnic groups have been affected by asthma,

nationwide data show that the epidemic is most severe among lower income

and minority children.

These data have lead to heightened concern about the quality of air that

inner-city children are breathing—both indoors and out. In recent years,

scientists have developed a better understanding of the role that air pollutants can play in exacerbating asthma symptoms and triggering asthma

attacks. Much work has been done to reduce children’s exposures to indoor

air pollutants and allergens such as cigarette smoke, cockroach particles, dust mites, and animal ha

these are considered among the most common asthma triggers. At the same time, there is growing 

tion of a need for better information on children’s exposures to outdoor air pollutants.

Throughout most of the United States, levels of outdoor air pollutants are much lower today than 

the past. However, in some parts of the country (particularly urban areas), outdoor air pollution is 

concern. Pollutants of concern1 include ground-level ozone (which is formed by the chemical reac

lutants from cars, trucks, buses, power plants, and other sources) and particulate matter (which in

dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets emitted into the air by sources such as cars, trucks, buses, fa

construction activities). Both of these pollutants have been linked to asthma and other respiratory 

To protect their respiratory health, inner-city residents need timely access to air quality data. Level

outdoor air pollutants such as ozone and particulate matter vary from day to day and even during 

of a single day. Access to air quality forecasts and real-time data can allow residents to reduce their 

when pollutant levels are high. For children and others with asthma, reducing exposures to asthma 

can be part of a multi-faceted approach to managing symptoms that also includes behavior change

therapy, and frequent medical follow-ups. Patient education is also key to this approach.

1 Another class of pollutants that can cause special threats in urban areas is air toxics, which are those air pollutants that are known or 

to cause cancer or other serious health problems. Air toxics are not addressed in this handbook. For more information on nationwid

monitor and reduce emissions of air toxics, visit EPA’s Air Toxics Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/.

In many urban areas

pollution is still a 
AirBeat team also developed an extensive outreach program for educating the public about air pollution

health effects, and precautionary measures.

This technology transfer handbook presents a case study about the AirBeat project. It describes how Air

got its start, how the project’s partners approached the technical and human challenges facing them, and

what lessons they learned in the process. The handbook also provides information, recommendations,

suggestions, and tips to assist other groups in developing or refining a comparable program for their ow

community. These recommendations, tips, and suggestions come primarily from the AirBeat project, bu

also to a limited extent from case studies, lessons learned, and recommendations gleaned from other com

rable environmental monitoring projects. The handbook is written primarily for community organizers,

non-profit groups, local government officials, tribal officials, and other decision-makers who will implement, or are considering implementing, air quality monitoring and outreach programs.

1.1 ABOUT THE EMPACT PROGRAM

This handbook was developed by EPA’s EMPACT Program (http://www.epa.gov/empact). EPA created

EMPACT (Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking) to promote new an

innovative approaches to collecting, managing, and communicating environmental information to the

public. Working with communities across the country, the program takes advantage of new technologie

to provide community members with timely, accurate, and understandable environmental information t

can use to make informed, day-to-day decisions about their lives. EMPACT projects cover a wide range 

environmental issues, including water quality, ground water contamination, smog, ultraviolet radiation, 

overall ecosystem quality. Some projects were initiated by EPA, while others (including the AirBeat proj

were launched by EMPACT communities themselves through EPA-funded Metro Grants.

1.2 ABOUT THE AIRBEAT PROJECT

Planning for the AirBeat project began in 1997 and 1998. EMPACT began funding AirBeat in 1999,

and that spring the project started operating its air pollution monitoring station in the center of Roxbur

Real-time delivery of air quality data began in 2000 with the launch of the AirBeat Web site and teleph

hotline system.

AirBeat focused on the Roxbury neighborhood for two reasons. First, there has been heightened concern

over outdoor air quality in Roxbury due to high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses. And seco

there are a number of strong community organizations in Roxbury that have been working for years on 

variety of environmental health and justice issues.

1-2 Chapter 

2 In this handbook, the term “real time” is used to indicate that data are presented to the public almost as soon as they are collected, with only 

slight delay for data processing and quality assurance. AirBeat reports pollutant concentrations as hourly averages, with results generally mad

available to the public within 15 minutes of the end of the averaging period.
(MA DEP) aimed at establishing an ambient air quality monitoring station in Roxbury.

AirBeat’s monitoring and outreach project grew out of these efforts. In 1998, MA DEP decided t

a monitoring station in the Dudley Square area of Roxbury (see map) to measure levels of PM2.5 

ambient air. The station was to be part of MA DEP’s statewide monitoring network. With fundin

an EMPACT grant, the AirBeat team was able to expand the Dudley Square monitoring effort to 

continuous measurements of PM2.5, ground-level ozone, and black carbon soot (BC). (Black carb

Introduction 

BOSTON

SOUTH

BOSTON

CAMBRIDGE

CHARLES RIVER

ROXBURY
• Harvard University School of Public Health, which developed some of the innovative instrumenta

set-ups for the AirBeat monitoring station and shared responsibility for implementing the real-tim

measurements.

• MA DEP, which operates 42 ambient air monitoring stations throughout Massachusetts and has

overall responsibility for the Roxbury station.

• Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM), an interstate association of

air quality control agencies that managed AirBeat’s data management and mapping efforts and the

development of the project’s Web site and hotline.

• Suffolk County Conservation District, which acted as the lead agency, responsible for coordinating 

AirBeat project.

Chapters 4 through 7 of this handbook provide more details about the roles each of these partners playe

the AirBeat project.

1-4 Chapter 

Current Status and Sustainability of the AirBeat Project

Since the end of the EMPACT grant period, in 2001, AirBeat has continued to provide real-time data

on air pollution to the Roxbury community. The Dudley Square monitoring station (and all of its instru

mentation) is maintained by MA DEP, which operates the station as part of its statewide monitoring

network with state and federal funding. AirBeat’s Data Management Center runs on an automated bas

from the offices of NESCAUM, with little human oversight needed. The ongoing operation of this equi

ment means that, for the foreseeable future, air pollution data will continue to be downloaded from th

Dudley Square monitoring station and posted to the AirBeat Web site for public access.

AirBeat outreach activities will also continue, but at a scaled-back level. Air quality is still a major

concern in Roxbury, and AirBeat information has become woven into the fabric of many of ACE’s community education and empowerment initiatives in the neighborhood. So as ACE continues its work, th

AirBeat message will continue to go out to Roxbury residents.
Both print and CD-ROM versions of the handbook are available for direct online ordering from 

Technology Transfer Web site at http://www.epa.gov/ttbnrmrl. A PDF version of the handbook can 

downloaded from that site. In addition, you can order a copy of the handbook (print or CD-ROM 

by contacting ORD Publications by telephone or mail at:

EPA ORD Publications

26 W. Martin Luther King Dr.

Cincinnati, OH 45268-0001

EPA NSCEP Toll free: 1-800-490-9198

EPA NSCEP Local: 513-489-8190

Please make sure that you include the title of the handbook and the EPA document number in yo

request. We hope that you find the handbook worthwhile, informative, and easy to use.

1.4 FOR MORE INFORMATION

Try the following resources for more on the issues and programs this handbook discusses:

Introduction 

The EMPACT Program

http://www.epa.gov/empact/

The AirBeat Web site

http://www.airbeat.org

Alternatives for Community & Environment

http://www.ace-ej.org/

Massachusetts Department of Environmental

Protection

http://www.state.ma.us/dep/dephome.htm

NESCAUM

http://www.nescaum.org/

EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection

http://www.epa.gov/children/

American Lung Association

http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/

National Asthma Education and Preventio

Program, National Heart, Blood and Lung 

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/asthma/index.h

AirBeat Contacts:

George Allen

NESCAUM

Phone: 617-367-8540 x235

Email: gallen@nescaum.org

Jodi Sugerman-Brozan

Alternatives for Community & Environmen

Phone: 617-442-3343 x23

Email: jodi@ace-ej.org

Jerry Sheehan

Massachusetts Department of Environment

Protection

Phone: 617-292-5500

Email: jerry.sheehan@state.ma.us
How to Use This Handbook 

The handbook provides simple “how to” instructions on each facet of planning and implementin

AirBeat-type program, along with important background information on air pollution and health 

• Chapter 3 provides information about ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter, the tw

air pollutants that are the focus of AirBeat’s monitoring efforts. The chapter covers pollutant 

and health effects and gives an overview of existing monitoring programs that are in place n

for measuring ambient concentrations of ozone and particulate matter. 

• Chapter 4 describes the steps in beginning an AirBeat-type program: identifying potential ta

communities, getting to know the community, selecting partners for the program, and estim

program costs.

• Chapter 5 discusses the key steps in developing a monitoring system: preparing a quality ass

plan; siting a monitoring station; selecting monitoring instrumentation and equipment; and 

operating, and maintaining the equipment.

• Chapter 6 provides detailed information about data management and delivery, focusing on t

equipment and software needed to establish a data management center and such data-delive

as a Web site and telephone hotline system.

• Chapter 7 provides guidance on education and outreach to community residents about air p

health effects, and the benefits of using real-time air quality data to reduce exposures to harm

pollutant levels. The chapter includes detailed information on outreach tools and approache

by the AirBeat project, along with sample outreach materials.

Identifying target

communities and

selecting program

partners

Developing a monitoring system for

making continuous

measurements of

air pollutants

Using state-of-theart technology for

managing data

and delivering it

to community

residents in

real time

Creating an out

reach program 

educate residen

about air pollut

and health effec
improve the air quality. CAP provides an excellent model for involving the local community in all

aspects of planning and implementing an air quality monitoring and outreach program.

• Appendix C describes another Missouri-based effort: the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership,

a public-private partnership formed to raise awareness of regional air quality issues and to encoura

activities to reduce emissions of air pollutants. The Partnership demonstrates how a program can c

effectively leverage monitoring data from existing state-run monitoring networks and deliver it to 

public in the context of an innovative education and outreach effort.

The handbook is designed for managers and decision-makers who may be considering whether to imple

ment an AirBeat-type monitoring and outreach program in their community, as well as for organizers w

are interested in improving or refining their existing programs.

2-2 Chapter 
About Ground-Level Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter 

effects of black carbon, a component of PM2.5 that is monitored by the AirBeat project. Section 3

marizes the National Ambient Air Quality Standards that EPA has established for ozone and part

matter to protect people and the environment from adverse effects. Section 3.5 provides an overv

existing monitoring programs that are in place nationwide for measuring ambient concentrations 

particulate matter, and other major air pollutants. Finally, Section 3.6 introduces readers to the A

Index, a tool developed by EPA to provide people with timely and easy-to-understand informatio

air quality and whether it poses a health concern.

The information in this chapter should be useful to any person interested in air pollution and the 

strategies for monitoring pollutant levels in ambient air, whether that person be a community org

responsible for implementing a monitoring program or a member of the public concerned about 

pollutant levels in his or her community.

3.1 ABOUT OZONE

Ozone is an odorless, colorless gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. It occurs both in the Eart

atmosphere and at ground level. Ozone can be good or bad, depending on where it is found:

• Good ozone (upper level). Ozone occurs naturally in the Earth’s upper atmosphere—10 to 3

above the Earth’s surface, where it forms a protective barrier that shields people from the sun

ultraviolet rays. This barrier is sometimes called the “ozone layer.”

• Bad ozone (ground level). Because of pollution, ozone can also be found in the Earth’s lower 

phere, at ground level. Ground-level ozone is a major ingredient of smog, and it can harm p

health by damaging their lungs. It can also damage crops and many common man-made ma

such as rubber, plastic, and paint.

3.1.1 SOURCES OF GROUND-LEVEL OZONE

Ground-level ozone is not emitted directly into the air but forms when two kinds of pollutants—

organic compounds and nitrogen oxides—mix in the air and react chemically in the presence of s

Common sources of volatile organic compounds (often referred to as VOCs) include motor vehic

stations, chemical plants, and other industrial facilities. Solvents such as dry-cleaning fluid and ch

used to clean industrial equipment are also sources of VOCs. Common sources of nitrogen oxide

motor vehicles, power plants, and other fuel-burning sources.

3.1.2 OZONE HEALTH EFFECTS

Ozone can affect people’s health in many ways:

• Ozone can irritate the respiratory system. When this happens, you might start coughing, fee

tion in your throat, and/or experience an uncomfortable sensation in your chest. These sym

last for a few hours after ozone exposure and may even become painful.
long-term health effects.

3.1.3 POPULATIONS MOST AT RISK FROM OZONE

In most parts of the United States, ozone pollution is likely to be a concern during the summer months

when the weather conditions needed to form ground-level ozone—lots of sun, hot temperatures—norm

occur. Ozone pollution is usually at its worst during summer heat waves when air masses are stagnant.

Ozone levels also vary during the day, and are typically highest during late afternoon and decrease rapid

sunset.

Most people only have to worry about ozone exposure when concentrations reach high or very high leve

However, some groups of people are particularly sensitive to ozone, and members of these groups are lik

to experience health effects before ozone concentrations reach high levels. People most sensitive to ozon

include:

• Children. Active children are the group at highest risk from ozone exposure. Such children often s

a large part of their summer vacation outdoors, engaged in vigorous activities either in their neighb

hood or at summer camp. Children are also more likely to have asthma or other respiratory illness

Asthma is the most common chronic disease for children and may be aggravated by ozone exposur

• Adults who are active outdoors. Healthy adults who exercise or work outdoors are considered a

“sensitive group” because they have a higher level of exposure to ozone than people who are less ac

outdoors.

• People with respiratory diseases, such as asthma. There is no evidence that ozone causes asthma or

other chronic respiratory disease, but these diseases do make the lungs more vulnerable to the effec

of ozone. Thus, individuals with these conditions will generally experience the effects of ozone earl

and at lower levels than less sensitive individuals.

• People with unusual susceptibility to ozone. Scientists don’t yet know why, but some healthy peopl

simply more sensitive to ozone than others. These individuals may experience more health effects f

ozone exposure than the average person.

Scientists have found little evidence to suggest that either the elderly or people with heart disease have

heightened sensitivity to ozone. However, like other adults, elderly people will be at higher risk from oz

exposure if they suffer from respiratory disease, are active outdoors, or are unusually susceptible to ozon

3.2 ABOUT FINE PARTICULATE MATTER

Particulate matter (PM) is the general term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets foun

the air. These particles and droplets come in a wide range of sizes. Some are large or dark enough to be 

as soot or smoke. Others are so small they can be detected only with an electron microscope.

3-2 Chapter 
One standard addresses levels of fine particulate matter (known as PM2.5), which contains parti

than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. The other standard addresses PM10, containing particles that a

10 micrometers in diameter.

3.2.1 SOURCES OF FINE PARTICULATE MATTER

Particulate matter originates from many different stationary and mobile sources as well as from na

sources. Particles larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (often referred to as coarse particles) are 

emitted from sources such as vehicles traveling on unpaved roads, materials handling, and crushin

grinding operations, as well as windblown dust. Fine particles (less than 2.5 micrometers in diam

are the focus of the AirBeat project, result from fuel combustion from motor vehicles, power gene

industrial facilities, as well as from residential fireplaces and wood stoves. The particles originating 

these sources often include certain heavy metals and organic compounds that have been associated 

excess cancer risk.

Some fine particles are emitted directly from their sources, such as smokestacks and cars. In other 

gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds interact with other 

in the air to form fine particles. Their chemical and physical compositions vary depending on loc

of year, and weather.

3.2.2 PM2.5 HEALTH EFFECTS

When people inhale, they breathe in air along with any particles that are in the air. The air and th

travel into their respiratory system (the lungs and airway). Along the way, the particles can stick t

of the airway or travel deeper into the lungs. If particles are small and get very far into the lungs, 

in the lung trap the particles and then they can’t get out. 

Scientific studies have linked fine particles (alone or in combination with other air pollutants), wi

of significant health problems, including:

• Premature death.

• Respiratory related hospital admissions and emergency room visits.

• Aggravated asthma.

• Acute respiratory symptoms, including aggravated coughing and difficult or painful breathin

• Chronic bronchitis.

• Decreased lung function that can be experienced as shortness of breath.

• Work and school absences.

Ground-Level Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter 
The following people are most at risk from exposures to PM2.5:

• The elderly. Studies estimate that tens of thousands of elderly people die prematurely each year fro

exposure to ambient levels of fine particles. Studies also indicate that exposure to fine particles is a

ciated with thousands of hospital admissions each year. Many of these hospital admissions are elde

people suffering from lung or heart disease.

• Individuals with preexisting heart or lung disease. Breathing fine particles can also adversely affect

individuals with heart disease, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis by causing additional medical t

ment. Inhaling fine particulate matter has been attributed to increased hospital admissions, emerge

room visits, and premature death among sensitive populations.

• Children. Because children’s respiratory systems are still developing, they are more susceptible to en

ronmental threats than healthy adults. Exposure to fine particles is associated with increased freque

of childhood illnesses, which are of concern both in the short run, and for the future development 

healthy lungs in the affected children. Fine particles are also associated with increased respiratory

symptoms and reduced lung function in children, including symptoms such as aggravated coughin

and difficulty or pain in breathing. These can result in school absences and limitations in normal

childhood activities.

• Asthmatics and asthmatic children. More and more people are being diagnosed with asthma every

year. Fourteen Americans die every day from asthma, a rate three times greater than just 20 years a

Children make up 25 percent of the population, but comprise 40 percent of all asthma cases.

Breathing fine particles, alone or in combination with other pollutants, can aggravate asthma, caus

greater use of medication and resulting in more medical treatment and hospital visits.

3.3 ABOUT BLACK CARBON

Black carbon (BC), an air pollutant that is monitored by the AirBeat project, is a component of PM2.5

(typically about 10 percent by mass in urban areas). BC is similar to soot and is emitted directly into th

from virtually all combustion activities. It is especially prevalent in exhaust from diesel-burning trucks a

buses, which tend to be the primary source of BC in urban areas. Other sources of BC include coal-bur

power plants, jet fuel, forest fires, and wood-burning stoves and fireplaces.

EPA has not established a national health standard specifically for BC. The reasons are two-fold. First,

because black carbon is a component of PM2.5, BC levels in ambient air are regulated under the Nation

Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 (see Section 3.4). Second, not enough is known about the spe

health effects of black carbon to set a national standard. However, a large number of human epidemiolo

studies have shown that diesel exhaust as a whole (which contains black carbon) is associated with incre

in lung cancer and may aggravate asthma. More information on the health effects associated with diesel

exhaust can be found in EPA’s Health Assessment Document for Diesel Exhaust, located online at

http://www.epa.gov/ncea/dieslexh.htm.

3-4 Chapter 
required to re-evaluate each NAAQS every 5 years and either affirm the current standard or prom

a new standard based on the currently available scientific research.

Under the Clean Air Act, EPA develops two standards for each pollutant of concern: 

• A primary standard to protect public health. The primary NAAQS can be defined as the lev

quality that EPA has determined to be generally protective of people’s health.

• A secondary standard to protect public welfare. Public welfare includes effects on soils, wate

vegetation, buildings, property, animals, wildlife, weather, visibility, transportation, and othe

economic values, as well as personal comfort and well-being. 

For ozone, the primary and secondary standards are identical. The same is true for particulate ma

You can find out more about the Clean Air Act and the NAAQS in EPA’s Plain English Guide to 

Air Act, found online at http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/peg_caa/pegcaain.html.

3.4.1 ABOUT THE NAAQS FOR OZONE

In 1997, EPA adopted new, more stringent standards for ozone, based on research that found tha

original NAAQS for ozone, known as the 1-hour standard, was not adequately protective of hum

The 1-hour standard limited ozone levels to 0.12 parts per million averaged over a 1-hour period

standard, known as the 8-hour standard, requires that a community’s ozone levels be no higher th

parts per million when averaged over an 8-hour period.

3.4.2 ABOUT THE NAAQS FOR PARTICULATE MATTER

EPA also revised the NAAQS for particulate matter in 1997. Up to that point, federal PM standa

applied only to particles up to 10 microns in diameter (PM10). A review of the scientific data ind

however, that it is the smaller (or fine) particles—less than 2.5 microns in diameter—that are larg

responsible for the health effects of greatest concern and for visibility impairment.

Based on this information, EPA issued revisions to strengthen the particulate matter standards by 

the existing PM10 standards and adding new standards that provide more stringent goals for fine 

in air. The revised standards are shown in the following table.

Ground-Level Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter 

3 The other criteria pollutants are carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
3.5 EXISTING MONITORING PROGRAMS FOR OZONE

AND PARTICULATE MATTER

Under the Clean Air Act, states are required to establish air monitoring networks—air quality surveillan

systems that consist of a series of carefully placed monitoring stations. Each station measures the ambien

concentrations of important air pollutants, including ground-level ozone and PM, in the immediate vic

of the station. States are required to report the data gathered from the monitoring stations to EPA. 

Information provided by the state air monitoring networks is used for a number of purposes. Two key

objectives are:

• Determining what areas of the United States are in compliance with the NAAQS. A geographic ar

that meets the primary health-based NAAQS is called an attainment area. Areas that do not meet 

primary standard are called non-attainment areas. The Clean Air Act requires each state to develop

State Implementation Plans (SIPs) describing the programs a state will use to maintain good air

quality in attainment areas and meet the NAAQS in non-attainment areas.

• Provide information to the public about local air quality. Each year, EPA issues a National Air Qu

and Emissions Trends Report, which examines trends among the six criteria pollutants. In addition

efforts are increasingly being made to deliver timely air quality information directly to the public f

use in daily decision making. EPA’s AirNow Web site (http://www.epa.gov/airnow) provides the pub

with daily air quality forecasts as well as real-time air quality data for over 165 cities across the Un

States. A number of local and regional programs have also been launched to deliver real-time infor

tion to the public. The AirBeat project is just one example. See the appendices of this handbook fo

summaries of other, similar programs.

Other objectives of air quality surveillance include: 1) determining source impacts, 2) determining gene

background levels, 3) measuring regional transport, 4) evaluating effects such as visibility impairments a

ecosystem impacts, and 5) developing and evaluating strategies for controlling pollution levels.

3-6 Chapter 

PM2.5 65 micrograms per cubic meter 15 micrograms per cubic meter

To attain this standard, the 98th percentile of the To attain this standard, the 3-year average of

distribution of the 24-hour concentrations for a the annual arithmetic mean of the 24-hour

period of 1 year, averaged over 3 years, must not concentrations from single or multiple populatio

exceed 65 micrograms per cubic meter at each oriented monitors must not exceed

monitor within an area. 15 micrograms per cubic meter.
work based on their data needs and available resources. Nationwide, the SLAMS network co

around 4,000 monitoring stations (see map).

State and Local Air Monitoring Stations (SLAMS)

• National Air Monitoring Stations (NAMS). NAMS are used to supply data for national pol

trend analyses and to provide the public with information about air quality in major metrop

areas. NAMS are required in urban areas with populations greater than 200,000. NAMS mo

stations are selected from a subset of the SLAMS network, and EPA requires a minimum of 

NAMS monitors in each of these metropolitan areas. There are two categories of NAMS mo

stations: stations located in areas of expected maximum ozone concentration, and stations lo

areas where poor air quality is combined with high population density.

• Special Purpose Monitoring Stations (SPMS). SPMS provide data for special studies needed 

and local agencies to support SIPs and other air program activities. The SPMS are not perm

established and can be adjusted easily to accommodate changing needs and priorities. The S

are used to supplement the fixed monitoring network as circumstances require and resources 

Ground-Level Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter 

4 For information on existing monitoring efforts targeted at air toxics, visit the Web site of the National Air Toxics Assessment at

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/nata/. Because the AirBeat project does not focus on air toxics, this class of pollutants is not discussed in 
EPA is currently revising its national air monitoring strategy. In starting new AirBeat-type programs in t

future, organizations should gather information on the latest air monitoring network designs that are in 

3.6 THE AIR QUALITY INDEX—A TOOL FOR REPORTIN

AIR QUALITY INFORMATION

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool developed by EPA to provide people with timely and easy-to-und

stand information on local air quality and whether it poses a health concern. It provides a simple, unifo

system that can be used throughout the country for reporting levels of major pollutants regulated under 

Clean Air Act, including ground-level ozone and particulate matter.

The AQI converts a measured pollutant concentration to a number on a scale of 0 to 500. The higher t

index value, the greater the health concern. For most of the criteria pollutants, the AQI value of 100 co

sponds to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard established for the pollutant under the Clean Air 

This is the level that EPA has determined to be generally protective of human health. For PM2.5, the AQ

value of 150 corresponds to the 24-hour NAAQS of 65 micrograms per cubic meter.

As shown below, the Air Quality Index scale has been divided into six categories, each corresponding to 

different level of health concern. Each category is also associated with a color.

The level of health concern associated with each AQI category is summarized by a descriptor:

• Good (green). When the AQI value for your community is between 0 and 50, air quality is consid

satisfactory in your area.

• Moderate (yellow). When the index value for your community is between 51 and 100, air quality 

acceptable in your area. (However, people who are extremely sensitive to ozone may experience res

tory symptoms.)

3-8 Chapter 
• Hazardous (maroon). AQI values over 300 trigger health warnings of emergency conditions

AQI values over 300 rarely occur in the U.S.

For more information about the AQI, check out the EPA brochure entitled Air Quality Index—A 

Air Quality and Your Health (EPA-454/R-00-005), found online at http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqi_

3.6.1 HOW IS THE AIR QUALITY INDEX CALCULATED?

SLAM networks take measurements of levels of ozone, particulate matter (both PM2.5 and PM10

other criteria pollutants several times a day. These are then converted into corresponding AQI val

standard conversion scales developed by EPA. For example, an ozone measurement of 0.08 parts 

lion, which happens to be National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone, would translate to a

value of 100.

Once the AQI values for the individual pollutants have been calculated, they are then used to cal

overall single index value for the local area. The single AQI value is determined simply by taking 

index value that was calculated for the individual air pollutants. This value becomes the AQI valu

in a community on a given day. For example, say that on July 12, your community has an AQI r

115 for ozone and 72 for carbon monoxide. The AQI value that will be reported that day for you

nity is 115. On days when the AQI for two or more pollutants is greater than 100, the pollutant 

highest index level is reported, but information on any other pollutant above 100 may also be rep

Guidelines for reporting air quality using the AQI can be found online at

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/memoranda/rg701.pdf.

3.7 FOR MORE INFORMATION

3.7.1 EPA PUBLICATIONS ON GROUND-LEVEL OZONE AN

PARTICULATE MATTER

Ozone and Your Health (EPA-452/F-99-003)

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/ozone-c.pdf

This short, colorful pamphlet tells who is at risk from exposure to ozone, what health effects are c

ozone, and simple measures that can be taken to reduce health risk.

Smog—Who Does It Hurt? (EPA-452/K-99-001)

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/health/smog.pdf

This 8-page booklet provides more detailed information than “Ozone and Your Health” about oz

effects and how to avoid them.

Haze—How Air Pollution Affects the View (EPA-456/F-99-001)

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/fr_notices/haze.pdf

This two-page pamphlet gives a general description of what regional haze is, where it comes from

is being done to reduce it. 

Ground-Level Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter 
g

http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/peg_caa/pegcaain.html

EPA’s Updated Air Quality Standards for Smog (Ozone) and Particulate Matter 

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/naaqsfin/

EPA’s Revised Ozone Standard (1997 fact sheet)

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/naaqsfin/o3fact.html

EPA’s Revised Particulate Matter Standards (1997 fact sheet)

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/naaqsfin/pmfact.html

3.7.3 ONLINE RESOURCES ABOUT AMBIENT AIR MONITORIN

EPA’s Ambient Monitoring Technology Information Center (AMTIC) Web site

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/

EPA’s AirNow Web site

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/

EPA’s Monitoring Requirements for Particulate Matter (1997 fact sheet)

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/naaqsfin/pmonfact.html

Ozone Monitoring, Mapping, and Public Outreach: Delivering Real-Time Ozone Information to Your

Community (EPA-625/R-99-007)

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/empact/start.htm

3.7.4 EPA PUBLICATIONS ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY INDEX

Air Quality Index—A Guide to Air Quality and Your Health (EPA-454/R-00-005)

http://www.epa.gov/airnow/aqi_cl.pdf

This booklet explains EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) and the health effects of major air pollutants.

Guideline for Reporting of Daily Air Quality—Air Quality Index (EPA-454/R-99-010)

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/t1/memoranda/rg701.pdf

This guidance is designed to aid local agencies in reporting air quality using the AQI.

3-10 Chapter 
Beginning the Program 

Section 4.1 presents a brief overview of the structure of an AirBeat

type program and outlines the roles and responsibilities of program

partners. Section 4.2 discusses the critical process of selecting program partners who can best help you meet your program’s objectives

within your target community. Section 4.3 presents guidance on

identifying potentially impacted communities that you may want to

target with your program. Section 4.4 provides tips on getting to

know your target community in terms of the cultures and languages

of residents, their awareness of air quality issues, and other factors.

Finally, Section 4.5 offers suggestions on estimating program costs

and leveraging resources available to you.

The information in this chapter is designed primarily for managers

and decision-makers who may be considering whether to implement

AirBeat-type programs in their communities, as well as for organizers

who are interested in improving or refining existing programs.

4.1 PROGRAM STRUCTURE: OVERVIEW OF A COMMU

BASED AIR POLLUTION MONITORING AND

OUTREACH PROGRAM

AirBeat is a multifaceted project that engages in a variety of activities—everything from writing a

uting flyers to developing Web sites and calibrating monitoring equipment. These activities can b

into four main categories, which make up the main components of the project: monitoring, data 

ment and delivery, education and outreach, and project management. 

The following paragraphs summarize these activities to provide an overview of how the AirBeat p

works. These activities are described in much greater detail in Chapters 5 through 7.

Monitoring During the planning stages for monitoring, a quality assurance plan is dev

by senior technical experts familiar with the monitoring technologies to be 

Based on the plan, the monitoring site is then selected and the specific mo

equipment to be used is identified and procured. On-site installation of th

ing shelter and equipment is typically performed by a skilled field technici

will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the equipment d

program. After equipment installation and checkout are completed, metho

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), reflecting all technologies being ap

must be developed. Monitoring activities are conducted by field technician

accordance with the SOPs and the monitoring schedule previously develop

5 In the case of AirBeat, the two partner organizations responsible for monitoring (MA DEP and the Harvard School of Public Healt

well-established quality assurance (QA) programs in place. These programs included QA protocols for many of the measurement m

the Dudley Square monitoring station. AirBeat’s senior technical experts developed a separate QA narrative to cover the operation o

methods run specifically for the AirBeat project. See Chapter 5 for more information about this narrative.

Get to know your target c

including the cultures and 

of the people who live 
Outreach AirBeat’s outreach efforts include two types of activities: 1) disseminating air qua

data, and 2) educating Roxbury residents about the connections between air poll

tion and respiratory illnesses and about the steps that people can take to reduce

harmful exposures. AirBeat has two automated systems for data dissemination—

AirBeat Web site and telephone hotline—which are still in operation today. Dur

the EMPACT grant period, the AirBeat team conducted an extensive education

campaign that relied on multiple approaches and outreach tools, including fact

sheets and flyers, contextual materials posted on the Web site, press releases,

curriculum modules, workshops and presentations, and events and tours. AirBea

also conducted direct outreach to nurses and other health care providers.

Some education and outreach efforts are still ongoing (see Section 1.2 for the

current status of the AirBeat project).

Management Project management under AirBeat was handled during the EMPACT grant per

by the Suffolk County Conservation District (SCCD), a body of five elected ind

uals who volunteer their time to the agency, and Charles Consulting, a small,

independent firm that was hired to manage the day-to-day operations of the pro

during the start-up phase. Management duties included project coordination, sch

uling and facilitating meetings of the AirBeat team, and partnership building. Th

management team also helped select subcontractors, wrote reports, and managed 

budget. The need for a defined project management team ended in 2001 with th

conclusion of the grant period.

The flow chart on the following page summarizes the basic structure of the AirBeat project. The chart

identifies the main activities of the project, the team members responsible for these activities, and the fl

of work and communication between team members. It also shows the flow of data.

4.2 SELECTING PROGRAM PARTNERS

As described in Chapter 1, AirBeat grew out of a partnership between several public, private, and non-p

organizations. These included a university, a state environmental agency, a county conservation agency, 

interstate air quality association, and a community-based environmental justice organization.

Why were so many partners needed for what is essentially a small-scale program? The activities conduct

by AirBeat during the EMPACT grant period (1999 to 2001) demanded a number of specialized skills,

from communication and language skills to air monitoring training, from Internet design experience to

project management skills. Each partner played a different role in the project, based on the specific skill

and qualifications that partner had to offer.

4-2 Chapter 
For example, the Harvard School of Public Health, a founding AirBeat partner, offered the techn

needed for developing innovative instrumentation set-ups for the Roxbury monitoring station. H

staff also had the expertise to develop quality assurance plans for validating monitoring data. Alte

Community & Environment (ACE), the project’s community partner, did not offer these kinds o

skills, but contributed something just as important: familiarity with the Dudley Square neighborh

the communication skills necessary to work closely with its residents. 

In starting your own air pollution monitoring and outreach program, you’ll need to assemble a te

individuals or organizations who offer a similar range of skills and qualifications. To select partne

members, you should think about how each will fit into the overall program structure, and how d

partners can work together to create a successful program. You will also need to consider their rel

to the target community. For example:

• An organization or agency that already has strong ties to the community can be ideal for co

outreach and education for your program. Community action programs or neighborhood h

centers can be a good choice.

Beginning the Program 

 Senior Monitoring Experts

• site selection

• QA planning

• instrumentation selection

• develop SOPs

• quality control

 IT Experts

• select hardware/software

• build data management center

• develop AirBeat Website

• develop telephone hotline

 Outreach Team

• develop outreach materials

• press releases

• workshops & presentations

• internship program

• outreach to schools and

health care providers

Field Technicians

• instrumentation

installation,

operation, and

maintenance

 Monitoring Site

measurements of:

• PM2.5

• O3

• BC

• weather

 Data Management Center

• download data from monitors

• validate data

• translate data into formats for

delivery to public

• generate graphics

 Website & Hotline

• disseminate data to public

• maps and graphs

• provide contextual

educational material

• links to other information

 Other Data

• hazecam images

• weather

• ozone maps

Genera

Sch

Cli

Black arrows = Flow of work 

communicatio

project team

Black arrows = Flow of data t

automated sy
• A nearby college or university can help with any research components of your program, or may be 

to provide assistance and equipment for the monitoring activities.

4.3 IDENTIFYING POTENTIALLY IMPACTED

COMMUNITIES

The first step in beginning an air quality monitoring and outreach program is to identify target commu

ties in your area that may be impacted by air pollution. There are two main approaches to doing this: u

existing air quality data, or using air pollution predictors.

4.3.1 USING EXISTING AIR QUALITY DATA

In attempting to identify potentially impacted communities, you should start by doing some research to

find out what types of air quality monitoring or testing is being (or has been) conducted in your area. Y

state or local air pollution control agency should be able to provide you with information about its own

monitoring programs and will likely know about any other local monitoring efforts (for example, air qu

testing done by nearby universities or community organizations). See Section 4.2 for tips on contacting

state and local agencies. EPA Regional Offices can also serve as a source of information.

Agency staff should also be able to point you to state publications and online resources that present any

monitoring results that are publicly available. Most states, for example, publish an annual air quality rep

that summarizes monitoring results and identifies long-term air quality trends. Increasingly, states are al

posting monitoring results directly to the Internet. 

On a national level, EPA’s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS) publishes an annual

National Air Quality and Emissions Trends Report, which gives a detailed analysis of changes in air pollut

levels over the last 10 years, plus a summary of the current air pollution status. Among other things, the

report identifies those cities and regions of the country that have been designated non-attainment areas—

areas where air pollution levels persistently exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for crite

pollutants. Information on non-attainment areas can also be found in EPA’s “Green Book”

(http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/greenbk/index.html), an online resource published by OAQPS.

Another valuable source of information is EPA’s AIRData Web site, found at

http://www.epa.gov/air/data/index.html. The AIRData site gives you access to air pollution data for the en

United States. It presents annual summaries of air pollution data from three EPA databases:

• The AIRS (Aerometric Information Retrieval System) database, which provides data on ambient

concentrations of criteria air pollutants at monitoring sites, primarily in cities and towns. 

• The NET (National Emission Trends) database, which provides estimates of annual emissions of

criteria air pollutants from point, area, and mobile sources. 

• The NTI (National Toxics Inventory) database, which provides estimates of annual emissions of

hazardous air pollutants from point, area, and mobile sources.

4-4 Chapter 
• Industrial emissions. The presence of nearby industrial facilities (such as oil refineries, chem

power plants, and asphalt plants) can be a predictor of air pollution. You can find out where 

industries are located by contacting your state environmental agency or EPA Regional Offic

For information on emissions of toxic pollutants, try searching EPA’s Toxic Release Inventor

database to identify facilities in your area that have reported releases of toxics to the environ

The TRI is found at: http://www.epa.gov/tri/

• High density of smaller businesses that release air pollution. Many small businesses (such as 

stations, autobody shops, and dry cleaners) produce air pollution. Though emissions from t

individual sources may be relatively small, collectively their emissions can be of concern—pa

when large numbers are located in heavily populated areas.

• Construction activity, materials handling, and crushing and grinding operations. All of thes

can act as a source of air pollution (coarse particulate matter, especially).

As part of the process of identifying potentially impacted communities, you might also want to g

information on local asthma hospitalization rates and the prevalence of other respiratory illnesses. 

selves, high asthma hospitalization rates are not considered an indicator of outdoor air pollution. 

there are other types of exposures, such as exposure to cigarette smoke and indoor air pollutants, 

trigger asthma attacks requiring hospitalization.) However, statistics on asthma incidence can help 

tify communities that are vulnerable and potentially in-need of the type of data that your program 

generating. If these statistics show that local asthma rates are elevated, you can do additional resea

determine if the community might be impacted by outdoor air pollution.

Community concern about elevated asthma rates in Roxbury was a driving motivation in the laun

AirBeat project. Yet the project might never have come to fruition without the work done by Rox

munity organizations to quantify the number and types of local air pollution sources. For exampl

associated with ACE’s Roxbury Environmental Empowerment Project undertook an effort to map 

tion sources in Roxbury neighborhoods. This research revealed that there were more than 15 truc

depots within a one-mile radius of Roxbury, garaging more than 1,150 diesel vehicles. With this 

tion in hand, community leaders were able to capture the attention of state environmental officia

their request that a monitoring station be sited in Roxbury. 

4.4 GETTING TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY

Once you have identified your target community, your task is to learn more about it. Make sure y

your target area clearly mapped and marked so that you can begin planning. Next, find out the k

tics” about the community. Some of the questions you will want to answer about the community 

• What are the cultures and languages of the people who live there?

• What are the residents’ income and education levels?

• What organizations and agencies are active in the community?

Beginning the Program 
4.5 ESTIMATING PROGRAM COSTS

Another important step for your organization to take when it is considering setting up an air pollution

monitoring and outreach program is to estimate how much your planned activities will cost. Although y

program need not be as large or ambitious as AirBeat’s, you may find it helpful to know how much mon

AirBeat spent.

Over its first two and a half years, AirBeat received roughly $500,000 in funding from EPA’s EMPACT

Program. These funds were allocated to the five partner organizations, each of which was responsible fo

specific activities involved in the startup and implementation of the project:

• Project management was handled by the Suffolk County Conservation District (SCCD). This cost

roughly $100,000, or 20 percent of the overall EMPACT budget for AirBeat. Specific managemen

responsibilities included coordinating and facilitating meetings, writing reports, managing the AirB

budget, building partnerships, and helping select subcontractors. SCCD hired an independent con

tractor, Charles Consulting, to oversee the day-to-day operations of the project during the EMPAC

grant period.

4-6 Chapter 

Lessons Learned: Gathering Community Input Through Public Meetings

One effective way of getting to know your target community is to hold public meetings. You can use

these meetings to present your plans for developing an air pollution monitoring and outreach program

and to gather input from community members about their air quality concerns. Once your program is

underway, public meetings provide an opportunity for alerting the community about the availability of

your real-time data and educating residents about connections between air pollution and respiratory

illnesses. AirBeat’s outreach partner, Alternatives for Community & Environment, incorporated AirBea

information into dozens of workshops for youth peer groups from community health centers and housin

developments. ACE staff also made presentations at large community events such as the Youth

Summit, which attracts roughly 200 youth participants.

One Missouri-based program, the St. Louis Community Air Project (CAP), holds monthly community

partnership meetings. These meetings give community representatives an opportunity to help direct th

CAP project, communicate to the project coordinators what resources the community would find most

useful, and learn about the most recent findings of the ongoing program research. Community input

gathered during these meetings is a driving force in the ongoing evolution of CAP. See Appendix B for

more information on the St. Louis Community Air Project.
Overall, roughly $70,000, or 14 percent, of the AirBeat budget went toward the monitoring 

However, it should be noted that these figures don’t represent the actual costs of the monito

since many costs were paid by MA DEP.

• Data management and delivery efforts were conducted by NESCAUM (Northeast States fo

Coordinated Air Use Management). These efforts cost roughly $250,000, or 50 percent of t

budget. Most of these funds went toward the development of an automated Data Managem

Center, which downloads data files from the monitoring station, validates the data, and prep

data for delivery to the public. NESCAUM’s other responsibilities included development of 

AirBeat Web site and telephone hotline system. Since the end of the grant period, the Data

Management Center, Web site, and telephone hotline have continued to operate in automat

• Education and outreach efforts were conducted during the grant period by Alternatives for C

& Environment. These cost roughly $80,000, or 16 percent of the AirBeat budget. ACE’s ac

included developing fact sheets and flyers, issuing press releases, creating and teaching curricu

ules on air quality issues, delivering workshops and presentations, and staging events and tou

also conducted direct outreach to nurses and other health care providers and ran an internshi

for Roxbury youths. Some of these activities have continued since the end of the grant period

AirBeat Cost Breakdown, 1999-2001

Beginning the Program 

Project

Management:

20%

Education

and Outreach:

16%

Monitoring:

14%

Data

Management:

50%
air control agencies have the capability of providing

the public with real-time data from their monitoring

networks. In other words, these agencies have developed data management systems that can validate

continuous monitoring data, process it, and deliver it

via Web sites in real time. In 1998, at the start of the

AirBeat project, MA DEP did not have this capability.

Therefore, as described in Chapter 6, AirBeat needed

to create a Data Management Center of its own that

could perform the real-time validation and processing

functions—and this was an extremely costly task.

A new AirBeat-type program getting underway today

might be able to avoid this cost altogether if it could

download pre-processed data (rather than raw data)

from a partner agency’s network. A model for this

type of cost-efficient program is the St. Louis Regional

Clean Air Partnership, described in Appendix C.

In the end, the actual costs of your program will

depend on the decisions you make in response to numerous

questions, both small and large, that will arise during the planning and implementation stages of your

program. Examples include: How many pollutants will your program monitor? Can you partner with a 

or local air control agency that is already monitoring those pollutants in your target community? Will y

need to purchase monitoring instrumentation? What other organizations will you partner with, and wh

resources and areas of expertise do they bring to the table? Will your team include a qualified Internet

Technology specialist who can oversee the data management operation on a daily basis, or will you need 

subcontract this work?

4-8 Chapter 

During the planning of an AirBeat-type program, one principle to keep in mind is to

always leverage existing resources. Do som

research and networking and find out what

activities are going on in your area related t

air pollution. Is there a Web site out there

already that reports ambient pollutant levels

to the public? Then think carefully if there’s 

need for another one. Is there a local comm

nity group that is educating the public on ai

pollution issues? That group might make an

excellent outreach partner. Is there a profes

sor at the local university who is mapping

pollutant sources in your area? Perhaps he 

she would be interested in contributing to

your project.
Monitoring 

ect. These key steps include:

• Quality assurance planning (Section 5.2.1).

• Siting a monitoring station (Section 5.2.2).

• Selecting monitoring instrumentation and equipment (Section 5.2.3).

• Installation, maintenance, and operation of monitoring equipment (Sections 5.2.4 and 5.2.5

The information in this chapter is designed primarily for program managers and others who are i

in the monitoring process. The chapter is meant to provide an overview of the work and consider

go into designing a monitoring system. The chapter is not meant to provide step-by-step instructi

organization that is interested in developing an ambient air monitoring program is advised to con

senior technical experts before launching the process.

5.1 OVERVIEW OF AIRBEAT’S MONITORING EFFOR

AirBeat’s real-time pollution data come from a single monitoring station located in Dudley Square, 

commercial hub in the center of Roxbury. This monitoring station is part of a statewide network of 

toring sites operated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to gather data on ambient concentrati

criteria pollutants. Under the Clean Air Act, every state is required to operate a similar network of m

(called State and Local Air Monitoring Stations, or SLAMS) to ensure that air quality meets federal 

See Chapter 3 of this handbook for more information on SLAMS and federal air monitoring requir

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP), an AirBeat partner, is the 

charge of siting and operating the monitoring stations in the commonwealth’s SLAMS network. In 

DEP began investigating the possibility of siting a PM2.5 monitor in Roxbury to comply with new P

monitoring requirements set by EPA earlier that year (go to http://www.epa.gov/ttn/oarpg/naaqsfin/pm

for a summary of the requirements). These requirements call for states to operate at least one PM2.5 

in every metropolitan area with at least 500,000 people. The requirements also direct the states to si

monitors in areas where there is both a likelihood of observing high PM2.5 concentrations and also a 

tially large affected population. Based on preliminary PM2.5 monitoring that had been carried out b

groups, Roxbury seemed to meet the requirements for a Boston-based monitoring location.

In siting the monitor, MA DEP invited the input of several local community organizations, includin

Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE), an environmental justice organization that had 

the need for air quality monitoring in Roxbury. Together, they settled on the Dudley Square location

this cooperative effort, the AirBeat project was born. The driving motivation behind the project was 

leverage the air quality information from the new monitoring site by making the data accessible to R

residents in real time. The final AirBeat team included MA DEP, ACE, the Suffolk County Conserv

District, and two locally based organizations with proven expertise in ambient air monitoring: the H

School of Public Health and Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM).
had revealed that more than 1,150 trucks and buses are garaged within 1.5 miles of Dudley Square).

To address these questions, the AirBeat team arranged to include the following monitoring capabilities a

the Dudley Square site:

• Continuous monitoring for PM2.5.

• Continuous monitoring for black carbon soot, which is a strong indicator of local diesel emissions

Although BC is a component of PM2.5 (typically about 10 percent by mass), its temporal variation

can be very different, often peaking during morning rush hour. The Dudley Square station is the o

monitoring site in the commonwealth that measures BC.

• Continuous monitoring for ozone.6

• Meteorological monitoring to track weather conditions.

The AirBeat team also made arrangements with MA DEP to download the raw monitoring data directly

from the Dudley Square station via a modem-to-modem connection, so that AirBeat could process the 

and deliver it to the public in real time. The Dudley Square station became the first monitoring site in

Massachusetts producing real-time data that are accessible to the public online (http://www.airbeat.org)

or through a telephone hotline (617-427-9500).

In addition, the AirBeat team arranged to download images of the Boston skyline from a HazeCam loca

12 miles northeast of the city. The images from the camera, posted hourly to the AirBeat Web site, are

meant to demonstrate the effects of urban air pollution on visibility, in addition to public health. See

Chapter 6 for more information on the use of HazeCam images.

In selecting the instrumentation for the Dudley Square station, the AirBeat team chose to test two inno

tive methods for air quality monitoring. The first of these, the Continuous Ambient Mass Monitor

(CAMM), is a new tool for measuring PM2.5 concentrations in ambient air. The CAMM was tested sid

side with another, more-established PM monitor (the TEOM) and proved reliable. The AirBeat team al

tested an innovative method for monitoring BC concentrations: the Aethalometer, which provides a sur

gate measurement of diesel emissions. Like the CAMM, the Aethalometer proved reliable, and it is the f

BC monitor capable of taking continuous measurements at unattended monitoring stations. Section

5.2.3.2, below, provides additional details about both of these innovative instruments.

Three AirBeat partners shared the work of planning, setting up and operating the project’s monitoring syst

• The Harvard School of Public Health, which was responsible for selecting and setting up the innov

tive monitors for PM2.5 and BC, developing standard operating procedures, and conducting routin

reviews.

5-2 Chapter 

6 Along with ozone and PM2.5, the station also monitors other criteria pollutants, including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and oxides of n

although these data are not reported to the public by AirBeat.
5.2 KEY STEPS IN DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTIN

A MONITORING SYSTEM

Organizations interested in launching an AirBeat-type project should begin by contacting the age

their state or region that is responsible for air quality monitoring. As described in Chapter 3 of th

book, every state in the United States is required to operate a network of stations for measuring

concentrations of common pollutants in ambient air. Monitoring for these pollutants is conducte

large city and in numerous other locations. No matter where your organization is located, your b

for developing reliable ozone and particulate data within a reasonable budget is to tap into the ex

monitoring infrastructure(s) in your area. Using the AirBeat model, you should try to develop a p

with the air quality agency in your region or state. Such agencies have the resources and expertise 

develop and operate reliable monitoring systems, as well as insight into the availability of other en

tal monitoring resources.

The following subsections provide an overview of the key steps in designing and implementing an 

air monitoring system for ozone and fine particulate matter. The information presented here is ge

toward the development of monitoring systems that are consistent with EPA’s standards for ozone 

PM2.5 monitoring networks. The information is meant to help program managers and others und

the monitoring process; it is not meant to be a substitute for the knowledge and expertise offered 

technical experts.

5.2.1 QUALITY ASSURANCE PLANNING

Planning for quality assurance activities and preparation of a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QA

are central to the success of any environmental data collection operation. The QAPP details how 

assurance (QA)7 and quality control (QC)8 will be implemented for the complete duration of the 

All projects involving the generation or acquisition and use of environmental measurements data 

planned and documented prior to the start of data collection.

In a single document, the QAPP provides an overview of the entire project, describes the need fo

measurements, and defines QA/QC activities to be applied to the project, with enough detail to p

a clear description of every aspect of the project.

The critical functions to be addressed in the QAPP are:

• Project Background and Management. This section of the QAPP should provide backgroun

information and define the problem to be addressed and the general goals of the project. It 

describe project organization (e.g., staffing responsibilities), quality objectives and acceptanc

for measurement data, special training and/or certification requirements, and plans for docu

and record keeping. 

Monitoring 

7 Quality assurance is defined as an integrated system of management activities involving planning, implementation, documentation

reporting, and quality improvement to ensure that a process, item, or service is of the type and quality needed and expected by the 

8 Quality control is defined as the overall system of technical activities that measures the attributes and performance of a process, item

against defined standards to verify that they meet the stated requirements established by the customer; operational techniques and a

are used to fulfill requirements for quality.
(6) systems and performance audits, and (7) peer review.

• Data Validation and Usability. The QAPP should also describe what steps will be taken to ensure 

the individual data elements conform to the criteria specified in the project’s Data Quality Objecti

Identifying Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) is one of the first steps in preparing a QAPP. DQOs are

qualitative and quantitative statements, developed using the EPA DQO Process, that clarify study objec

and specify tolerable levels of potential errors. DQOs establish the quality and quantity of data needed 

support program decisions. An example of a DQO used by the AirBeat project for its real-time data set 

“Precision and accuracy of better than 10% for ozone and continuous PM2.5”. The project’s QA plan

included detailed procedures for determining whether or not this DQO was being met. 

For more information on QAPPs, see the document EPA Requirements for Quality Assurance Project Plan

available online at http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/r5-final.pdf. EPA’s Guidance for the Data Quality

Objectives Process can be found at http://www.epa.gov/quality/qs-docs/g4-final.pdf.

5.2.1.1 AIRBEAT’S QUALITY ASSURANCE PLANNING

At the outset of AirBeat, two of the project’s partner organizations—MA DEP and the Harvard School 

Public Health—already had well-established QA programs in place. As the operator of a statewide ambi

air monitoring network, MA DEP is required to have an EPA-approved QA program. Likewise, Harvar

had developed a QA program that was evaluated by EPA for earlier monitoring efforts.

Rather than create a new QAPP to encompass the entire AirBeat project, MA DEP and Harvard were ab

to draw upon their existing QA plans. These plans included QA procedures for many of the measuremen

methods run at the Dudley Square monitoring station. AirBeat’s senior technical experts developed a sepa

QA narrative to cover the operation of measurement methods run specifically for the AirBeat project.

These included the continuous monitoring for PM2.5, black carbon soot, and ozone.

The QA narrative, which is presented at the end of this chapter, provides background information about t

monitoring effort, defines DQOs and the procedures for determining whether or not DQOs are being me

describes guidelines for assessing data completeness, and identifies procedures for detecting equipment failu

5-4 Chapter 

Quality Assurance Project Plans

A QAPP should demonstrate that:

• Technical and quality objectives for the project have been identified and addressed.

• Intended measurement approaches are appropriate for achieving project objectives.

• Assessment procedures are sufficient to confirm that the project’s Data Quality Objectives will be met

• Any limitations on the use of the data have been identified and documented.
issues (i.e., macro, micro). 

• Practical limitations.

Let’s look at each of these considerations in turn.

5.2.2.1 PROJECT-SPECIFIC DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES

The first step in appropriately siting a monitoring station is understanding the project-specific D

associated with the monitoring effort being planned. The DQO process is described in Section 5

5.2.2.2 METHOD-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Most monitoring methods contain specifications and recommendations for siting the associated m

instrumentation and any ancillary equipment. The siting specifications and recommendations can 

different from one monitoring method to another. If multiple monitoring methods are proposed 

site location, the siting specifications of each proposed method must be compared to determine c

ity. If conflicts exist in the siting specifications for different monitoring methods, prioritization of 

targeted pollutants must be conducted. After the pollutants of interest have been prioritized, the 

ifications corresponding to the highest priority pollutant should be applied to the site location ide

process, with the potential effect on lower priority targeted pollutants documented.

5.2.2.3 MONITORING SITE TYPE AND SCALE ISSUES

As with the specific monitoring method requirements, the monitoring site types have individual spe

and recommendations for locating a site. Examples of four primary site types are:

• Criteria pollutants—monitoring performed at locations of highest impact in areas where adh

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) must be documented.

• Ozone precursors—monitoring performed around areas where the NAAQS for ozone have 

exceeded.

• Air toxics—monitoring performed at locations determined to represent a snap-shot of an ar

potential for health risk.

• Special application—monitoring performed at a location potentially impacted by a specific 

for either regulatory or non-regulatory purposes.

Macro- and micro-scale siting issues must also be considered. Macro-scale issues include:

• Will the site typically be downwind of the sources of air pollution?

• Will the local air parcel represent the monitoring goals?

• Is cross contamination from other emission sources an issue?

Monitoring 
• Is the safety of field staff at an acceptable level?

5.2.2.4 PRACTICAL LIMITATIONS

Even after detailed and careful determination of where a site should ideally be located, practical limitatio

may impact the ability to meet the ideal. Practical limitations include:

• Availability of, and access to, property.

• Access to power and/or telephone service.

• Security and/or liability issues.

In cases where practical limitations prevent positioning a monitoring site at the location considered idea

there are two alternatives: 1) the site may be positioned as close to the ideal location as possible if seriou

impacts to the data will not result; or 2) another appropriate location will have to be identified.

5.2.2.5 SITING THE AIRBEAT MONITORING STATION

Prior to the initiation of the AirBeat project, the environmental group Alternatives for Community &

Environment had lobbied MA DEP to set up a monitoring site in what ACE considered to be an air po

tion “Hot Spot” in Roxbury. Roxbury is a heavily urbanized neighborhood in the heart of Boston that i

impacted by local bus and truck sources, and ACE relayed to MA DEP the community concern about

exposure to diesel exhaust.

In response to these community concerns, MA DEP closed down a monitoring site located in the nearb

town of Chelsea in order to initiate monitoring in Roxbury. In the process of developing DQOs for the

planned Roxbury monitoring station, MA DEP determined that respirable particulate, or PM2.5, was th

highest priority targeted pollutant. Consequently, selection of an appropriate location for a Roxbury mo

toring site was made based on siting considerations consistent with a top priority of performing

representative PM2.5 measurements in an inner city neighborhood environment. Roxbury presented itse

as an ideal monitoring site location because:

• Historically, Roxbury has documented high rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses that rais

widespread concern about the local air quality.

• Diesel-powered vehicles have been shown to be major contributors to PM2.5 emissions, and there 

more than 15 bus and truck depots housing more than 1,150 diesel-powered vehicles within the

Dudley Square area of Roxbury.

After evaluating adherence to the project DQOs and all of the siting specifications and recommendation

associated with the proposed monitoring methods, a suitable site location was identified in the Dudley

Square area of Roxbury, in an unused portion of a Boston Edison Electrical Substation yard. MA DEP

secured permission from the Boston Edison Company to use the substation yard and locate a monitorin

shelter, instrumentation, and ancillary equipment on their property. To ensure safety and security, MA D

5-6 Chapter 
concentrations and also a potentially large affected

population. For ground-level ozone, the Dudley Square

station is considered a “neighborhood-scale site,”

producing measurements that are representative of

“conditions throughout some reasonably homogenous

urban subregion, with dimensions of a few kilometers.”

(This definition is from EPA’s standards for monitoring

networks as published in the Code of Federal

Regulations: 40 CFR Part 58, National Primary and

Secondary Ambient Air Quality Standards, accessible

online at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/40cfr58.html.)

While the ozone data from the Dudley Square

station accurately represent the concentrations that

Roxbury residents are exposed to, the data are not

representative of the ozone exposures of people who live outside of Boston’s urban center—particu

people who live downwind from the city, with its many pollution sources. To counteract this, the A

Web site also includes regional ozone maps, which provide site visitors with information on ozone 

the greater Boston area (the maps are downloaded from EPA’s AirNow Website at http://www.epa.g

5.2.3 SELECTING MONITORING INSTRUMENTATION AND/

EQUIPMENT

Many air pollutants can be measured using multiple, but unique, types of instrumentation and/or

equipment. It is important that the correct approach most suited to the specific needs of an individ

monitoring effort be selected. The selection process is keyed to the monitoring methods determine

appropriate during development of the project DQOs. Specific selection issues that should be cons

• Measurement of the correct parameters.

• Required quantity and quality of the data.

• Ability to measure on the correct time scale.

• Compatibility with the site design (outdoor or indoor environment).

• Compatibility with other equipment (for example, interfacing continuous emissions monito

meteorological instrumentation with a data acquisition system).

• Any regulatory-driven requirements.

In the case of criteria pollutants, including ozone and particulate matter, EPA has designated a nu

of “reference methods” or “equivalent methods” for measuring ambient pollutant concentrations. 

approved each of these methods for use in state or local air quality surveillance systems. Where de

tion of compliance with primary and secondary air quality standards is required, instrumentation 

Monitoring 

The Dudley Square monitoring statio
• Calibration units—determine the relationship between the observed and the true values of a measu

parameter. Accuracy is the extent to which measurements represent their corresponding actual valu

and precision is a measurement of the variability observed over repeated analyses. The accuracy and

precision of data derived from air monitoring instruments depend on sound instrument calibration

procedures.

• Data loggers—computerized systems that can control and record data generated from several instr

ments at a monitoring site. With a data logger, you can interact with software using either a keybo

or an interactive, command-oriented interface. Data loggers perform numerous functions: reviewin

collected data, producing printed reports, controlling the analyzer and other instruments, setting u

instrument operating parameters, performing diagnostic checks, setting up external events and alar

and defining external storage.

Data can be downloaded from the data loggers to an off-site computer through a modem connection. I

addition to the off-site computer and modem, data acquisition and processing software and a data stora

module are needed to make the data available for further processing. See Chapter 6 for more informatio

on data management, processing, and delivery.

5.2.3.1 INSTRUMENTATION SELECTED FOR THE DUDLEY SQUAR

MONITORING STATION

Table 5-1 provides a list of the specific instruments and equipment used at the Dudley Square monitori

station. With a few notable exceptions, most of the instrumentation installed at the station was selected 

MA DEP. Because the Dudley Square station is part of a statewide SLAMS network and generates data 

are used for determining compliance with federal air quality standards, MA DEP relied on instruments 

have been designated by EPA as reference or equivalent methods. These include instruments for making

continuous measurements of ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Because EP

regulations currently do not allow for continuous PM2.5 monitors to be used for compliance monitorin

MA DEP installed a Thermo Andersen RAAS2.5-300 Sequential Sampler at the site to measure 24-hou

PM2.5 concentrations. These 24-hour measurements are used for determining compliance with the 24-h

National Ambient Air Quality Standard for PM2.5 (see Section 3.4.2).

Of the compliance monitors listed in the first section of Table 5-1, AirBeat uses only data from the con

ous ozone monitor. These ozone data are reported in real time on the AirBeat Web site. The second sect

of the table lists the instruments used for gathering the real-time PM2.5 and black carbon data reported 

the site. See Section 5.2.3.2 for more information about these instruments. 

When looking through the table, keep in mind that air monitoring technology is a rapidly evolving field

Because much of the instrumentation for the Dudley Square site was selected in the period between 199

and 1999, it does not necessarily represent the best or most up-to-date instrumentation currently availab

If you are interested in launching an AirBeat-type monitoring program and have questions about appro

5-8 Chapter 
Monitoring 

Ozone (O3) Advanced Pollution Instrumentation (API) 400 O3 Analyzer (EPA Reference Method Number EQOA-

Fine Particulate Thermo Andersen RAAS2.5-300 Sequential Sampler (EPA Reference Method Number RFPS-0598-

Matter (PM2.5)

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) TECO 42C NO2 Analyzer (EPA Reference Method Number RFNA-1289-074)

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) TECO 43C SO2 Analyzer (EPA Equivalent Method Number EQSA-0486-060)

Carbon Monoxide (CO) API 300 CO Analyzer (EPA Reference Method Number RFCA-1093-093)

Calibration System Dasibi Model 5008 Multipoint Gas Phase Titration Calibration System with a Dasibi Model 5011 Ze

(Meets EPA monitoring requirements as defined in 40 CFR Part 53) with Protocol 1 Certified Gas C

Calibration System TECO Model 146 Multipoint Gas Phase Titration Calibration System with a TECO Model 111 Zero A

(Meets EPA monitoring requirements as defined in 40 CFR Part 53) with Protocol 1 Certified Gas C

Instruments Used for AirBeat-Specific Measurements

Black Carbon Soot AE-21 Dual Channel Aethalometer, Magee Scientific, Inc.

PM2.5 Met One Instrumentation 1020 Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor

PM2.5 Tapered Element Oscillating Microbalance (TEOM), Rupprecht & Patashnick Co., Inc.

PM2.5 Andersen Continuous Ambient Mass Monitor (CAMM)

Haze Hazecam Automatic Camera Visibility Monitoring System, Air Resources, Inc.

Meteorological Monitors

Meteorological Met One Instrumentation Meteorological Station for Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Temperature, Ba

Parameters Pressure, Relative Humidity and Solar Radiation (Meets EPA monitoring requirements as defined in

40 CFR Part 53)

Data Acquisition System

Datalogger Environmental Systems Corporation (ESC) Model 8816 DSM Data Acquisition Unit

Computer HP Brio Desktop

Modems Zoom Telephonics Models 14.4K and V34 plus

Data Software ESC E-DAS Digi-trend Software for Windows
p

.5 

g pg pp

particles larger than 2.5 micrometers.) These comparative tests showed that the CAMM produced repre

tative data. In March 2001, the TEOM was turned off, and for the following year the CAMM was used 

generate the PM2.5 data that were posted to the AirBeat Web site and updated on an hourly basis. In sp

of 2002, problems emerged with the CAMM unit and it could not be repaired by the manufacturer in 

timely manner. The CAMM was replaced by a Met One Instrumentation Beta Attenuation Mass Monit

which is still in use.

To supplement the core air pollution measurements

of ozone and PM2.5, AirBeat also measures aerosol

black carbon and UV-absorbing carbon using the

Aethalometer, a real-time optical absorption monitoring instrument. Measurements of black carbon are

of interest because black carbon is a surrogate for

elemental carbon; mass of black carbon as reported

by the Aethalometer agrees well with integrated

elemental carbon mass samples. Hourly data from

the Aethalometer are available on the AirBeat Web

site. In urban areas, the predominant source of black

carbon is from diesel fuel used in buses, trucks, and

construction equipment. Although black carbon is a

component of PM2.5 (around 10 percent by mass,

typically), its temporal variation can be quite different, usually peaking during morning rush hour.

Real-time measurements of black carbon are thus required to evaluate the temporal variation and provid

useful information on potential health effects to residents of the area.

5.2.4 INSTALLING AND MAINTAINING MONITORING EQUIPMEN

The key to effective installation of instrumentation and equipment at a site is to plan ahead of time a la

allowing the best use of the interior and exterior space available so that field personnel can operate the s

in an efficient and safe manner. When planning the site layout, particular consideration must be given t

adherence to any/all siting requirements (i.e., specified distances around and between collections system

height from ground level of sample collection intakes, acceptable instrumentation temperature ranges, e

Equipment must be situated so that field technicians have the space to conveniently conduct operation 

repair activities, without disturbing the function of other instrumentation and equipment. It is essential 

plan for adequate electrical power with outlets located in close proximity to the equipment.

Safety must also be a primary consideration when planning a site layout. Placement of instrumentation 

equipment must minimize the potential for personal injury. Injury can be the result of physical, electric

chemical, or environmental hazards. All applicable occupational health and safety standards must be me

5-10 Chapter 

Tip!

The technology used to continuously monito

fine particles is constantly evolving and bein

improved. The experience of the AirBeat pro

ect—which used three different technologies

within a two-and-a-half-year period—demon

strates this point. Any organization planning 

new AirBeat-type project should do its home

work before deciding upon a particular type 

monitor.
preventive and corrective. Preventive maintenance involves

conducting planned service activities prior to, and in an effort to

avoid, failures. Based on manufacturers’ recommendations, historical

information on previous application of the equipment, and sound

knowledge, the following determinations must be made:

• What are the components that must be replaced at specific

intervals and what are the intervals?

• What are the components that can receive servicing to extend their

lifetime, and what is the service and interval for service?

A schedule reflecting required service activities must be developed, and service must be conducted 

ingly. When developing the schedule, make sure to consider the timing of service activities so tha

collection won’t be disrupted (affecting data capture completeness).

Because of their complexity, electro-mechanical devices occasionally fail. Given this fact, the prim

pose of corrective maintenance planning is to establish procedures that ensure that unscheduled re

completed as rapidly as possible. An integral facet of efficient corrective maintenance is possessing 

appropriate replacement parts. Based on input from the manufacturer, a list of replacement parts 

monitoring or critical ancillary device should be developed. The list should be detailed and presen

part description, vendor, part number, cost, and approximate delivery time required. Parts determ

have the highest potential for failure, or that have a long delivery time, should be obtained and st

required.

A maintenance checklist presenting the date of service, equipment identification information, serv

performed, person performing the service, and any associated notes should be prepared at the tim

servicing activity, for both preventive and corrective maintenance actions.

5.2.4.1 AIRBEAT’S MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES

AirBeat defined the specific procedures for maintaining monitoring instrumentation—and the ap

frequency of maintenance—in the SOPs that were developed for each instrument. During the EM

grant period (1999 to 2001), quality checks for AirBeat included twice-a-week station visits, with 

inspection of all systems at each visit. Monitors were calibrated quarterly, with flow or precision c

performed bi-weekly. At least one internal performance audit was conducted on all monitors duri

grant period. Since 2001, all instruments at the Dudley Square station have been maintained by M

Monitoring 

Computers and monitoring 

inside the secure shelt

Dudley Square sta
EPA has published a document that provides guidance for preparing SOPs, available at

http://www.epa.gov/quality1/qs-docs/g6-final.pdf. Where monitoring data will be used for determining com

ance with federal air quality standards, SOPs should be prepared according to this guidance and should

address specific topics as follows:

• Introduction and background information.

• Location and siting criteria applied.

• Calibration procedures, standards, acceptance criteria, and schedule.

• Quality control procedures, standards and checks, acceptance criteria, and schedule.

• Data reduction, validation procedures, reporting, and schedule.

5.2.5.1 OPERATION OF THE AIRBEAT MONITORING EQUIPMENT

The monitoring conducted at the Dudley Square monitoring station during the EMPACT grant period 

performed in accordance with well-prepared SOPs as presented in Table 5-2.

As the table shows, most of the SOPs were documents prepared by MA DEP for operating instrumenta

in the agency’s SLAMS network. These SOPs were prepared according to EPA guidance. Each documen

very long and highly detailed.

The Harvard School of Public Health developed the SOPs for the Aethalometer, TEOM, and CAMM.

These are shorter, less formal documents. Given that the data from these instruments were not used by

MA DEP for determining the commonwealth’s compliance with federal air quality standards, it was not

necessary for Harvard to follow the official EPA guidance for developing SOPs. The SOP for the

Aethalometer is presented as a sample at the end of this chapter.

Table 5-2. SOPs for the Dudley Square Monitoring Equipme

5-12 Chapter 

Instrument Type Pollutant Prepared B

Aethalometer Black Carbon Soot HSPH

Tapered Element Oscillating Balance Monitor PM2.5 HSPH

Continuous Ambient Mass Monitor PM2.5 HSPH

Continuous Emission Monitor Carbon Monoxide MA DEP

Equivalent Continuous Emission Monitor Ozone MA DEP

Continuous Emission Monitor Oxides of Nitrogen MA DEP

Semi-continuous Beta Attenuation Mass Monitor PM2.5 MA DEP

Meteorological Monitoring System Wind Speed, Wind Direction, Relative Humidity, MA DEP

Temperature, Solar Radiation, Barometric Pressure
Network Design for State and Local Monitoring Stations (SLAMS), National Air Monitoring Sta

(NAMS), and Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS). Code of Federal Regulatio

Title 40, Part 58, Subpart E, Appendix D.

Quality Assurance Handbook for Air Pollution Measurement Systems, Volume II, Part 1 (EPA-454/R

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/files/ambient/qaqc/redbook.pdf

Technical Assistance Document for Sampling and Analysis of Ozone Precursors (EPA/600-R-98/1

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/pams.html

Compendium of Methods for the Determination of Toxic Organic Compounds in Ambient Air

(EPA/625/R-96/010b) http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/airtox.html

Designated EPA Reference and Equivalent Methods for Criteria Pollutants

http://www.epa.gov/ttn/amtic/criteria.html

Equivalent Reference Method Designation Procedures and Program. Code of Federal Regulations.

Title 40, Part 53.

Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) (EPA QA/G-6, EPA/240/B-01/0

http://www.epa.gov/quality1/qs-docs/g6-final.pdf

Monitoring 
and ozone) and the real-time data processing and validation for those methods that is done specifically for use in this

EMPACT project. It does not cover the non-EMPACT integrated methods being run at the same site or the data pro

cessing and validation of “official” MA DEP data streams for real-time PM2.5, black carbon soot, and ozone, since the

MA DEP has existing QA programs in place for those efforts, and those data will not be directly used by this project.

Although continuous PM2.5 and BC are relatively new methods and not yet commonly used for routine ambient mon

toring, HSPH has been running both of these methods in several studies since 1990, including a 3-year study in Bosto

The experience gained from this previous work with these methods will be applied to both the operational and data va

dation aspects of EMPACT, and will insure generation of complete and high quality data for this project.

Data Quality Objectives for the real-time (hourly) data set will include precision (coefficient of variation) and accuracy

of better than 10% for ozone and continuous PM2.5. For ozone, this is determined by repeated calibrations and intern

audits; for continuous PM2.5 by external flow checks, mass transducer calibrations, and comparison to integrated 24-

hour samples (TEOM). For the Aethalometer assessment of precision and accuracy is limited to flow checks, since the

are no other practical techniques for precision and accuracy for this method. Traditional techniques of replicate sampling used for integrated PM sampling methods can not be readily used for any of these continuous methods, since th

would require multiple samplers.

Station visits will occur at least twice a week; routine inspection of all systems will be performed at each visit. Monitor

will be calibrated quarterly, with flow or precision checks performed bi-weekly. The TEOM PM2.5 impactor will be

cleaned twice a week, per EPA requirements. TEOM and Aethalometer leak checks will be performed at least quarterl

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all of these methods have been developed for previous studies and will be

adapted for use in this project. All ozone, flow, and mass calibration standards used are NIST traceable. At least one

internal and if possible, one external performance audit will be conducted on all monitors during the EMPACT monitoring period.

Completeness will be assessed on an hourly basis; a valid hour requires 75% of the interval (45 minutes) to be valid; a

valid day requires 18 valid hours (75%). Since this is a short-term pilot program, seasonal or yearly completeness crite

are not used; however we expect to achieve an overall daily data capture and public reporting rate of 95% or higher aft

the system is fully functional. There is no sample custody for these continuous methods other than data management,

which is discussed elsewhere in this proposal. The sampling and analytical methods are discussed in the proposal’s

Approach section.

Although as noted in the proposal the data for this project will not be the final validated data set that will be submitted

to AIRS by the MA DEP, it is still important that the preliminary real-time data distributed to the public via EMPACT

be of known quality. Therefore it is important for this project that instrument failures are detected automatically to pr

vent grossly invalid data from being publically presented. This will be accomplished by utilizing built-in status flags on

the instruments and by real-time data screening for outliers, impossible values, ‘stuck values’, rates of change, excessive

short-term (1 minute interval) noise, etc. All instruments will be configured to allow observation of negative values for

screening purposes. These data processing issues, along with other real-time data handling QA processes, are addressed

in the attached Information Management Plan. As a final independent check of the EMPACT data management

process, a subset of the “official” MA DEP hourly data set will be compared with archived EMPACT data on an ongo

ing basis as the MA DEP validated data becomes available on a quarterly basis, approximately 1 to 3 months after

collection. Any significant discrepancies will be investigated. The validated MA DEP data for these monitors will be

made available via the EMPACT Web site on a quarterly basis when it is submitted to the U.S. EPA AIRS database.

5-14 Chapter 
Monitoring 

Any times that data are not valid while the system is “on-line” should be noted in the site computer log, along 

any comments or notes. If at all possible, avoid doing any procedure that causes loss of data during periods wi

BC concentrations higher than about 5 μg/m3.

Once Each Week:

1. Check the system date and time on the Aethalometer display and on the data logger PC. The Aethalometer 

should be within 5 minutes of the PC’s time. Times should always be EST (subtract 1 hour from daylight t

the time is reset, record the time error before changing the time, and the date and time you changed the tim

Aethalometer must be “stopped” to change the time, but does not need to be taken “off-line” from the data 

tion system, since the -5 volt output in this state automatically flags the data as void in the data logger. A se

code must be entered to stop the Aethalometer and perform certain other system operating tasks; the defau

111 and should not be changed. If there is a clear trend in the system time error (for example, a system typ

gains 2 minutes each week), set the time somewhat off in the opposite direction of the trend to reduce the 

frequent system time changes. For the fast clock example given above, set it 4 or 5 minutes slow each clock 

2. Check the sample flow on the Aethalometer display and record it in the log. It should be 4.0 ±0.3 lpm. Ad

the valve on the pump if necessary, and record the after adjustment value in the log sheet.

3. Check the Aethalometer display for normal operation (reasonable readings, no error messages, etc).

4. Change both impactor plates on the roof inlet. Plates can be reused at least 5 times by field cleaning before 

throughly cleaned in the lab. Wipe the deposit off the plates with a Kimwipe, apply one drop of mineral oi

plate, and blot dry after 30 seconds to remove any excess oil.

5. Check the filter tape supply. Change it if the thickness of the roll is less than 1/8” thick. Re-tension the tap

take-up spool if needed. Inspect the used filter tape spots that are visible for distinct and uniform borders b

the exposed and unexposed areas. If obvious poor seals are noted, contact HSPH.

Once Each Month:

1. While the Aethalometer is in its normal run mode, perform an external flow check. Do not stop data collec

the Aethalometer to do this test, since that can change the flows. The “tape-saver” function must be off to p

this flow check procedure.

1a. Measure the sample flow at the inlet of the fine mass impactor using a BIOS flow meter, dry test meter, ro

or other calibrated volumetric (e.g, not STP) flow measurement device with a range of 3 to 5 lpm. Wet flo

are not recommended since they can not be used below freezing, and have a RH dependent error due to w

vapor. The external flow meter must be at ambient temperature for readings to be valid. A STP flow devic

used if the temperature is 20E C; in this case skip the next step.

– more –
For this site (Roxbury), station pressure can be the pressure reported from Logan Airport, since the site elevation is les

than 30 meters above sea level.

1c. Calculate the % error of the Aethalometer flow compared to the external flow standard. % error = 100 x

(Aethalometer display - external STP flow) / external STP flow If the flow difference is more than 10%, contact

HSPH.

2. Leak check the Aethalometer by disconnecting the inlet hose at the rear of the instrument and blocking the inlet o

the back. Record the flow on the flowmeter display after 30 seconds; it should be less than 1.5 lpm. Reconnect the

sample line.

3. Change the Aethalometer data disk. The Aethalometer does not need to be interrupted to do this as long as the

change is done during the first three minutes of any five minute measurement cycle [based on the Aethalometer’s

internal clock]. Before changing the disk, start by labeling a new disk with the site and start date/time (local standa

time). Remove the old data disk and insert the new disk. Immediately put the write protect tab on the old disk, an

record the end date/time (EST) on the disk label. Return the disk to HSPH.

Once Each 6 Months:

Perform an optical strip check according to the manual. Also verify that the concentration reported by the data logger

agrees with the Aethalometer display within 200 ng while the optical strip is in place. Record the results of both these

in the comment section of the instrument log.

5-16 Chapter 
Data Management 

Center, where all project data are collected, managed, and archived. Sections 6.3 and 6.4 discuss 

ware and software components used to operate the Data Management Center. Finally, Sections 6

describe the creation of AirBeat’s Web site and telephone hotline.

Sections 6.1 and 6.2 are meant to provide a plain English overview of data management for prog

agers and others who may have limited experience with information technology (IT). The other s

more technical in nature, and are designed for IT specialists who may be charged with creating a 

agement system for an air pollution monitoring and outreach program.

6.1 INTRODUCTION TO DATA MANAGEMENT

In an environmental monitoring project such as AirBeat, data management is the process of colle

generated by monitoring instruments, validating and standardizing the data, storing the data in a 

and then translating the data into formats that can be communicated to the public. Today, most 

agement systems are automated systems operated by complex configurations of computer hardwa

software. Building such systems requires the expertise of experienced information technology spec

The scale of your project’s data management needs, and the resources required for this project ph

depend on a number of factors. Will your project be providing real-time data? How many types o

you be reporting? Will your project be responsible for assuring the quality of the data, or will QA 

dures be conducted by the agency or organization that owns and operates the monitoring sites?

As indicated in Section 4.5 of this handbook

(“Estimating Program Costs”), data management

turned out to be one of the most costly and technically challenging components of the AirBeat project.

This was true for several reasons. One key factor was

AirBeat’s decision to build a data management system

that could collect, process, validate, and deliver data

in real time. The Massachusetts Department of

Environmental Protection (MA DEP), the agency

that owns and operates the AirBeat monitoring station as well as 41 others in the commonwealth, has its

own program for collecting, processing, and validating

air quality data. However, at the inception of AirBeat

in 1998, MA DEP did not have the capabilities for managing and delivering data in real time. This meant that the AirBeat project was required to build 

real-time data management system from scratch—a costly proposition.

It’s worth noting that there are ways of structuring an air pollution monitoring and outreach prog

can reduce the costs and challenges involved with data management. Today, many state and local 

agencies have the data management capabilities to provide the public with real-time data from th

monitoring networks (MA DEP intends to develop this capability in the coming years).

Tip!

Find out if your state or local air cont

agency has the data management cap

to provide the public with real-time d

its monitoring network. If so, you mig

able to arrange with the agency to do

pre-processed data (rather than raw d

from the agency's network, thereby av

the costs of building a separate data 

ment system.
Design Diagram for AirBeat Data Management System

6.2 OVERVIEW OF AIRBEAT’S DATA MANAGEMENT

EFFORTS

All data for the AirBeat project were and are being collected, managed, and archived at a single Data

Management Center, which puts the data into a standard electronic format and performs quality checks

prior to making the data available to the public.

The AirBeat Data Management Center (DMC) is shown schematically in the diagram above. As the

diagram shows, the DMC collects data from multiple sources. Types of data include monitoring data

downloaded from the data logger at the AirBeat monitoring site, hazecam images downloaded from a d

camera Web server, and ozone maps downloaded from EPA’s AirNow Web site (http://www.epa.gov/airno

In addition, some data on weather parameters originate from the National Weather Service and the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

6-2 Chapter 
cation to the public. A further breakdown of the steps in this process is as follows:

• Download an ASCII text file from the Dudley Square air monitoring station. Each file conta

measured levels of each air pollutant for the previous hour, along with weather parameters. T

are available over a standard telephone line (modem-to-modem) and must be automatically r

every hour. 

• Validate data file completeness and integrity.

• Transfer file contents to a database.

• Flag data that do not meet pre-defined quality control limits (as defined by MA DEP and th

School of Public Health).

• Calculate Air Quality Index values for quality-assured data (see Chapter 3 for information on 

• Copy quality-assured data and indices into database tables for use by graphics, Web, and voic

software programs.

• Generate and record logs to monitor system operation.

• Alert system administrator when certain errors occur.

All of the specifications cited above are achieved by some combination of hardware, commercially 

software packages, information available from the Internet, and code written in Visual Basic®. Th

described in more detail in the following section. An overall picture of the Data Management Cen

flow is shown in the flow chart below.

AirBeat Data Flow

Data Management 

Web Server

AirBeat Server

Database

Hotline

Archive

Air Monitor Datalogger

Modem

Application

Data Management

Data Collection

Modem
6.3 HARDWARE COMPONENTS USED TO OPERATE TH

DATA MANAGEMENT CENTER

To operate its Data Management Center, AirBeat uses a Dell Dimension 450 MHZ computer with a

13.6 GB hard drive and a US Robotics 28.8K external modem. These hardware components were select

and purchased in the 1998/1999 time frame. The components have served AirBeat well, and continue t

be used today. However, the components are not listed in this handbook as recommendations for the us

of other AirBeat-type programs. Because of the rapid evolution of hardware in the field of information

technology, most computer systems that could be purchased today would outperform the system describ

above. For example, a search of the US Robotics Web site or a general search for modems will show tha

the 28.8K external modem is no longer readily available: most equipment manufacturers now feature

56K modems of various types. AirBeat originally intended to use an internal modem to download data

from the Dudley Square monitoring site. However, AirBeat’s original contractors reported problems usin

the internal modem that was supplied as part of the computer system and therefore went to an external

modem. Since the external modem was performing acceptably when responsibility for the Data

Management Center shifted to the NESCAUM IT specialist, no changes were made.

6-4 Chapter 

removed from the project after approximately one year, leaving the AirBeat project in a difficult position: with

the data management hardware installed and operational but with only part of the software in place and oper

tional. Also, documentation to support the operation of the Data Management Center was minimal. (The

contractor had been asked to document all data formats, scripts, parameter definitions, and directory structures to maximize transferability and sustainability of the project.)

NESCAUM hired an Information Technology specialist, who discarded most of the computer programs written

by the original contractor. New source code was written to link commercial software packages and to manage

data input. The resulting Data Management Center operated smoothly, but the AirBeat team had learned a

lesson in the process: For any project requiring collection of environmental monitoring data, it is helpful to

include a qualified and experienced IT specialist on the project team who can oversee the data management

operation on a daily basis and ensure that the work is being performed correctly and documented thoroughly.

Incorporating this IT specialist on the project management team is highly desirable.

If a contractor is going to be used, consider the pros and cons of using a small local business versus a larger

more established company. Reasons to select a small local business include offering positive support to the

community and benefitting from a small business's personal connections to the community. However,

considerable difficulties can arise if the business moves or closes before the completion of the work. Larger

businesses, on the other hand, offer stability and perhaps a larger skill set (or more areas of expertise), but

typically don't have the same types of community connections.

The bottom line is: include an IT specialist on your project team if at all possible.
6.4 SOFTWARE COMPONENTS USED TO OPERATE 

DATA MANAGEMENT CENTER

The software tools used to perform the functions required of the Data Management Center are su

in the table below. Some of these components are discussed in detail following the table.

Table 6-1. Software Components of the DMC

Data Management 

Package Function

Microsoft SQL Server Stores data and metadata

Microsoft Access 97 Database to support the telephone hotline

Visual Basic® 6.0 Application programming language

SaxComm Objects Terminal emulation: connects to the data logger at the monitoring 

captures monitoring data

Microsoft IIS 3 Used to create and operate the AirBeat Web site

(Windows NT 4.0 Operating System)

Graphics Server Creates graphs on the Web site

Dialogic Software Presents air quality information via telephone hotline

(with accompanying Dialogic IVR Board)
• Listing a directory

• Creating a log file

• Reading and writing large files

• Reading and writing binary data

• Watching file system changes

NESCAUM considered switching the AirBeat Data Management Center from the Windows-based Visu

Basic® to freely available software. Cost-effective alternatives to VB that NESCAUM considered include

Tcl, a freely available scripting language available for multiple operating systems, including Windows an

Linux. Tcl is a language that provides the building blocks for custom applications. NESCAUM also con

ered Perl (possibly in combination with Tcl), since Perl is a language especially suited for manipulating

strings, and a major portion of the programming effort required string manipulation. Perl could also

produce Web server scripts as well as ASP, the Windows-specific program. Numerous books and manua

describing Tcl and Perl are available online through O’Reilly Bookstores: http://www.OREILLY.com.

To make the switch away from Visual Basic®, AirBeat would have incurred a significant cost in re-progr

ming. Ultimately, it was not deemed practical for AirBeat to change after the original choices had been

made. For organizations interested in starting an AirBeat-type program, the bottom line is: carefully eva

ate the capabilities and associated costs of any software package before committing to a purchase. Consi

freely available alternatives, and remember that software is a rapidly evolving field.

SaxComm Objects

Another commercial software package, SaxComm Objects, was used by the AirBeat project for terminal

emulation—that is, connecting to the data logger at the monitoring site and capturing the monitoring d

This software performs a screen capture of the text screens containing the data generated by the data log

SaxComm Objects is used to dial up to a text-based service, with the specific benefit of being able to em

in another application.

To utilize the commercial software for data transfer, the IT specialist on the AirBeat project team wrote

Visual Basic® code to run a timer that invokes SaxComm Objects every hour, sending the software the

phone number to dial and the commands to send to the site data loggers, as well as telling the software 

to handle the screen capture file. The returned file that is transferred is a text file containing a table with 

of the monitoring data; a representative file is found at ftp://airbeat.org/upload/roxbury/bookmark1.txt.

6-6 Chapter 
Data Management 

of a turn-key system supplied at a cost of $6,000 to $7,000 by Air Resource Specialists, Inc.

(http://www.air-resource.com). The system includes the following components:

• A high resolution digital camera with zoom lens and integrated scripting.

• A custom-designed controller.

• A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) palm computer interface.

• A battery-backed power system (AC or solar power).

• A lockable environmental enclosure.

Air Resource Specialists hosts and operates a digital camera network over most of the northeast United 

and digital images from the Boston area are supplied to the network (http://www.hazecam.net) as well 

AirBeat Web site. The camera is positioned appropriately to take timed pictures of the Boston skyline, 

haze, fog, or a clear day. In operation, the computer is programmed to tell the digital camera to take a 

at the specified time intervals. The digital image is downloaded from the camera to the hard drive of th

puter and sent by modem to Air Resource. Air Resource edits the digital image, as required, and then 

the edited image to subscribing Web sites.

The digital camera image is central to the AirBeat Web site and provides a prime illustration of the gui

principle for a project such as AirBeat: make full use of all available resources. A major investment of 

and capital resources would be required to purchase a digital camera system and program the system 

images at regular time intervals to the AirBeat Web site. Accepting a digital image sent from Air Resou

putting this image on the AirBeat Web site is a relatively small cost.

A hazecam image of the Boston skyline, taken on a relatively clear day, with low pollutant levels.
pollution data and other air quality information, and to promote AirBeats outreach goals by presenting 

array of online educational materials and providing links to other sources of information. Section 7.2.1 

this handbook discusses these functions in more detail and provides visual examples of the ways that air

quality information is presented on the Web site.

To create the Web site, AirBeat’s contractors paired the existing hardware with Microsoft Internet

Information Server (IIS) 3, available as a part of Windows NT 4.0 Server. IIS is a standard Web and Fil

Transfer Protocol (FTP) server, with built-in Web page generation scripting. For information on a more

recent version of this software, see http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/technologies/web/default.asp.

Adobe Photoshop was used for designing and creating graphics for the Web site. The html pages were w

ten using a text editor, rather than a specific software package. The scripted (dynamic) parts of the Web 

were done using Active Server Page (ASP) scripts, a part of the Web server software (Microsoft IIS 3).

Programming was done in the Microsoft Visual Studio Environment, a software package that includes

Visual Basic®. 

The graphs on the Web site, which continue to be updated hourly, are created with Graphics Server

(http://www.graphicsserver.com). Graphics Server is a very powerful graphics production program that has 

interface in Visual Basic®. Graphics Server adds interactive graphs to the numerical data that are being p

into the Web site, using multiple platforms, multiple hosts, multiple interfaces, and an extensive range o

graphs, charts, and statistical functions. The data features of Graphics Server allow charting of up to

128,000 dynamic data points in a single graph and can even plot incoming data in real time. See Sectio

7.2 for examples of the types of graphs generated on the Web site.

The AirBeat Web site is operational and available to the public. Maintenance and improvements to the 

tem have continued since the end of the EMPACT grant period (1999 to 2001), and the Web site

continues to operate at the NESCAUM office. The Data Management Center can integrate data into th

Web site from Internet resources (for example, ozone maps are integrated from EPA’s AirNow Web site:

http://www.epa.gov/airnow). The Web site also provides links to other organizations’ Web pages.

6.6 CREATING THE TELEPHONE HOTLINE

AirBeat’s telephone hotline (617-427-9500) was created so that Roxbury residents without Internet acce

can still obtain timely information about air quality. The hotline reports current pollutant concentration

and also reports the highest concentrations for the current day and the peak concentrations from the pr

ous day. In addition, the hotline message interprets these data from a public health standpoint and

recommends actions that sensitive individuals can take to reduce exposures.

The hotline is supported by a Dialogic IVR Board with accompanying software. (Information about

Dialogic equipment can be found at http://www.voiceinternational.com/.) The AirBeat team used Insight

IVR®, developed by Micro Delta Corporation, as the application generator to build an Interactive Voic

6-8 Chapter 
AirBeat has had some problems with the hotline system (for example, there were problems in gett

system to use two telephone lines when it should be capable of using four). However, the system 

operational for much of the EMPACT grant period, and continues to operate in automated fashi

Data Management 

Lessons Learned: Tracking Usage of the Hotline

The AirBeat team considers the hotline a key venue for communicating air quality data to the public. It 

cially important given that few Roxbury residents have the ability to connect to the Internet and thus ac

AirBeat Web site.

A point of frustration for the AirBeat team has been their inability to track usage of the hotline. The cre

the hotline was a fairly costly and challenging process, and the team would like to be able to monitor i

order to assess the return on their investment.

Hotline systems can be purchased that include usage tracking features. New AirBeat-type programs sh

consider investing the extra resources from the start to buy a system that has these features.
Education and Outreach 

oped by the AirBeat project. Finally, Section 7.3 describes the challenge of evaluating the success 

education and outreach program. 

The information in this chapter is designed primarily for managers who are implementing air qua

monitoring programs, as well as for education and outreach workers who are responsible for com

about these programs.

7.1 DEVELOPING AN OUTREACH PLAN

AirBeat represents a step forward for air quality monitoring, a field that has evolved gradually for 

50 years. Scientists in the United States started developing air pollution monitoring devices in the 

and by the mid 1950s Los Angeles had created the first monitoring network capable of providing 

ous air quality data, along with an alert system to warn the public in the event of an air pollution

emergency. AirBeat, and other programs like it, are the descendants of that early system. The goa

today’s programs are essentially the same as 50 years ago: to gather accurate, timely data on air po

and to communicate these data to the public in ways that can reduce harmful human exposures. T

ence is that today’s technologies allow air monitoring programs to collect more nuanced data and 

communicate with the public in much more sophisticated ways. In the case of AirBeat, the goal i

data directly to residents in a way that can affect their daily decision-making.

Communication is at the heart of AirBeat’s mission, so an effective education and outreach progr

to the project’s success. During the EMPACT grant period (1999 to 2001), AirBeat’s education a

reach program was run primarily by Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE), a non-p

organization that has worked closely with the Roxbury community on environmental justice issue

1993. ACE has strong ties with other community and activist organizations in Roxbury, and has 

experience working to educate the public about environmental and health issues. ACE also has a 

internship and leadership development program for 14- to 18-year-olds, and the organization’s in

played a key role in AirBeat’s education and outreach efforts, as described in the box on the next 

Other AirBeat partners contributed outreach work as well, especially Northeast States for Coordin

Use Management (NESCAUM), which coordinated the development of two of the project’s key 

tools—the AirBeat Web site and the telephone hotline system.

The first step to creating an effective education and outreach program of your own is to develop 

reach plan. This plan will provide a blueprint for action. It does not have to be lengthy or compli

it should define four things: What are your outreach goals? Who are the target audiences? What a

messages and types of information that you want to deliver? And what outreach tools will you use 

these audiences? Let’s look at each of these questions in turn.
7.1.1 WHAT ARE YOUR OUTREACH GOALS?

Defining your outreach goals is the first step in developing an education and outreach plan. Outreach g

should be clear, simple, action-oriented statements about what you hope to accomplish through outreac

Here are six goal statements for outreach that the AirBeat team included in their original project propos

1. Develop multiple communication venues to ensure widespread access to environmental informati

and to appeal to the various communication preferences among end users.

2. Promote access to, awareness of, and use of the real-time air pollution data through an active

outreach and education campaign.

3. Develop contextual material to assist understanding and interpretation of the real-time data,

including its limitations.

4. Affect and improve daily decisions to reduce the harmful effects of air pollutants.

5. Bolster the community’s effectiveness in shaping local policies for transportation, development,

and construction projects that affect air pollution.

6. Evaluate, document, and disseminate results for further benefits in other EMPACT cities.

7-2 Chapter 

eat detee te best etods odeeg aquaty oatoto te taget couty

• Developing and distributing a "Roxbury Air Quality Fact Sheet," which describes pollution sources and

health effects and summarizes what the AirBeat monitoring has indicated about pollutant levels in Dudley

Square.

• Delivering a presentation at a Boston city hearing on the connection between traffic congestion and

air pollution.

• Helping to create and operate an innovative air quality flag warning system for communicating

AirBeat data to the local community. See Section 7.2.3 for more information about the system.

Involvement in the AirBeat effort provided a valuable learning experience for the ACE interns. The interns wer

treated as part of the AirBeat team and attended the project's monthly organizational meetings. The interns

contributed to the meetings and presented information about their accomplishments. Through their participation, the youths understand how to use and interpret air quality data and take action on pollution issues.

The youths' participation has also benefitted the project itself. For the technical members of the AirBeat team

the interns provided a human face for the target population. In addition, the interns were among the best

ambassadors for the program. Acting as "youth experts" on air pollution issues, they were able to share their

knowledge with the community, educating their peers and neighbors about how to use real-time air quality

data to improve their lives.

Two former interns recently co-authored (along with ACE staff members) an article about AirBeat that was

published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (volume 110, supplement 2, April 2002).
7.1.2 WHO ARE YOUR TARGET AUDIENCES?

The second step in developing an outreach plan is to clearly identify the target audience or audien

your outreach effort. As illustrated in the examples in Section 7.1.1, specific outreach goals and m

often have defined target audiences. You might want to refine and add to your goals and measure

have specifically considered which audiences you want to reach.

The AirBeat team included the following statement about their target audience in their project pr

The target audience for this project is the residents of Roxbury and those students and workers who 

significant portion of their day outdoors in the neighborhood. Within this group, we will target tho

suffer from asthma and other respiratory diseases, and those who are in a position to improve their 

such as school nurses and day care and health care providers.

As the statement illustrates, it is typical to have a number of sub-audiences within a target audien

(AirBeat’s sub-audiences include adult residents, adult residents who suffer from asthma, children 

from asthma, nurses and other health care providers, and day care providers.) Each audience will 

own specialized interests, and before you can begin tailoring messages for your different audience

need to develop a profile of their situations, interests, and concerns. This profile will help you ide

most effective ways of reaching the audience. For each target audience, consider:

• What is their current level of knowledge about air pollution and health effects (particularly 

• What do you want them to know about air pollution and health effects? What actions woul

them to take?

• What information is likely to be of greatest interest to the audience? What information will 

want to know once they develop some awareness of air pollution issues?

• How much time are they likely to give to receiving and assimilating the information?

• How does this group generally receive information? 

• What professional, recreational, and domestic activities does this group typically engage in t

might provide avenues for distributing outreach products? Are there any organizations or ce

represent or serve the audience and might be avenues for disseminating your outreach produ

• What are the language needs of each target audience? Do all audiences speak English, or wil

to conduct outreach in other languages as well? Often the community residents most in nee

quality information do not speak or read English.

Profiling an audience essentially involves putting yourself “in your audience’s shoes.” Ways to do 

include consulting with individuals or organizations who represent or are members of the audienc

consulting with colleagues who have successfully developed other outreach products for the audie

and using your imagination.

Education and Outreach 
other types of air pollutants.

• Only 10 percent of the respondents knew that AirBeat had set up an air monitoring station in

Roxbury.

• Television and newspapers were far and away the most popular media for receiving information on 

pollution issues.

7.1.3 WHAT ARE THE KEY MESSAGES AND TYPES OF

INFORMATION THAT YOU WANT TO DELIVER?

The next step in planning is to think about what you want to communicate. In particular at this stage,

think about the key points, or “messages,” you want to communicate. Messages are the “bottom line”

information you want your audience to walk away with, even if they forget the details. 

A message is usually phrased as a brief (often one-sentence) statement. For example:

• Air pollutants such as ground-level ozone, fine particulate matter, and black carbon soot can

exacerbate asthma symptoms and trigger asthma attacks.

• The AirBeat Web site and telephone hotline system can provide you with easy access to real-time

information about air pollution levels in Roxbury.

• Reducing your exposures to air pollution and other asthma triggers can help you manage your asth

symptoms.

• Cars, trucks, buses, factories, power plants, and construction activities are some of the primary sou

of air pollutants such as particulate matter.

Outreach products often will have multiple related messages. Consider what messages you want to deliv

each target audience group, and in what level of detail. As stated above, you will want to tailor different

messages for different audiences. 

Let’s look at how this can be done. For instance, let’s say that you are writing a press release for distribut

to local newspapers, announcing the launch of your program. Your audience, the average reader of these

publications, has relatively little knowledge about air pollution and its health effects. What should be th

focus of your press release? Probably you will want to concentrate on a few simple messages: that the Un

States is experiencing an epidemic of asthma that is most severe among lower income and minority chil

dren; that air pollutants such as ground-level ozone and particulate matter have been linked to asthma a

other respiratory illnesses; that your program has begun an effort to monitor levels of these pollutants

locally and deliver real-time data to community residents; and that people with asthma can use this info

mation to avoid harmful exposures. An example of a similar press release, distributed by the AirBeat tea

November 1999, is included at the end of this chapter. 

7-4 Chapter 
providers. If possible, you want to establish an ongoing relationship with the health centers in yo

community, making the health care providers aware of your monitoring program and of the avail

your real-time data. (See Section 7.2.9 to read about the AirBeat project’s approach to direct outr

Your hope is that the health care providers will act as a conduit, passing on this information to th

patients who suffer from asthma. After all, these patients are the people who most badly need the

information your program is gathering.

7.1.4 WHAT OUTREACH TOOLS WILL YOU USE?

As the above examples illustrate, one of the key challenges of conducting outreach and education

besides tailoring your message for the intended audience, is choosing the best outreach tool or ap

delivering your message. There are many different types of outreach: print, audiovisual, electronic

and novelty items. The table below provides some examples.

It’s up to you to select the most appropriate products to meet your goals within your resource and 

constraints. Questions to consider when selecting products include:

• How much information does your audience really need to have? How much does your audi

need to know now? The simplest, most straightforward product generally is most effective.

Education and Outreach 

Outreach Products

Print Advertisements Newsletters

Brochures Newspaper and magazine articles

Editorials Posters

Educational curricula Press releases

Fact sheets Question-and-answer sheets

Audiovisual Cable television programs Videos

Exhibits and kiosks Public service announcements (radio)

Electronic E-mail messages Subscriber list servers

Fax services Web pages

Events Briefings One-on-one meetings

Community days Press conferences

Fairs and festivals Public meetings

Media interviews Speeches

Novelty Items Banners Frisbee discs

Bumper stickers Magnets

Buttons Mouse pads

Coloring books
• When will the material be out of date? (You probably will want to spend fewer resources on produ

with shorter lifetimes.)

• Would it be effective to have distinct phases of products over time? For example, a first phase of pr

ucts designed to raise awareness, followed at a later date by a second phase of products to encourag

changes in behavior.

• How newsworthy is the information? Information with inherent news value may be rapidly and w

disseminated by the media.

The key here is to make good use of the resources available to you. In the best of all worlds, you would 

the time and budget to personally visit every health center, day-care center, and school in your target co

munity and to craft customized press releases for every type of publication and every audience. But it is

unlikely that you will have the resources to do everything you’d like to do. The goal, then, is to pick you

spots wisely. Reach as many people as you can, but also focus on those audiences that are most receptive

to—and most in need of—your information. 

7.2 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TOOLS

This section describes a variety of outreach tools used by the AirBeat project. Examples of specific outre

materials developed by AirBeat can be found at the end of the chapter. 

7.2.1 AIRBEAT WEB SITE

The technology of the Internet is nearly ideal for the purposes of an AirBeat-type project. It allows the

project to present air quality data in multiple formats and to regularly update the data through automat

delivery systems that require only a minimal level of human oversight. In addition, Web sites can be hig

effective educational tools.

The AirBeat Web site (http://www.airbeat.org) is a key tool used by the project for delivering air quality 

to Roxbury residents. Visitors to the site can access a variety of information on air quality conditions,

including:

• Summary information on current air quality conditions, people at risk, and recommended actions

presented on the AirBeat homepage in an easy-to-read chart.

• Detailed data on current and recent pollution levels, presented in bar and line graphs (see example

pages 7-8 and 7-9).

• Animated ozone movies, showing the progression of regional ozone levels over the course of a day.

• Static maps showing region-wide ozone forecasts for the upcoming day.

• Digital photographs of the Boston skyline, taken by a hazecam located 12 miles northeast of the c

(see page 6-7 for more information on hazecam images).

7-6 Chapter 
inserts at the end of this chapter. Others can be found online (go to http://www.airbeat.org). If yo

developing an AirBeat-type program of your own, you can use these pieces as a model to stimulat

your own outreach language. If you are a member of the public interested in air pollution and he

effects, you can read these materials to learn about steps that you can take to reduce pollutant lev

protect yourself from unhealthy exposures.

Information on the technical aspects of delivering monitoring data via a Web site is provided in C

Education and Outreach 
200

150

100

50

0

Air

Quality

Index

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Moderate

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200

150

100

150

100

50

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6

3

50

0

Unhealthy

Ozone

Air Quality Index

PM2.5

Air Quality Index

Black Carbon

Conc. (ug/m3)

Moderate

Good

Unhealthy

Moderate

Good

Yesterday Today

3PM4PM5PM6PM7PM8PM9PM

10PM11PM12AM

1AM2AM3AM4AM5AM6AM7AM8AM9AM

10AM11AM12PM

1PM1PM

7-8 Chapter 
200

150

100

50

0

Air

Quality

Index

Unhealthy

Moderate

Good

Jun 30

Jul 01Jul 02Jul 03Jul 04Jul 05Jul 06Jul 07Jul 08Jul 09Jul 10Jul 11Jul 12Jul 13Jul 14Jul 15Jul 16Jul 17Jul 18Jul 19Jul 20Jul 21Jul 22

Jul 23Jul 24Jul 25Jul 26Jul 27Jul 28Jul 29

200

150

100

150

100

50

9

6

3

50

0

Unhealthy

Ozone

Air Quality Index

PM2.5

Air Quality Index

Black Carbon

Conc. (ug/m3)

Moderate

Good

Unhealthy

Moderate

Good

Jun 30

Jul 01Jul 02Jul 03Jul 04Jul 05Jul 06Jul 07Jul 08Jul 09Jul 10Jul 11Jul 12Jul 13Jul 14Jul 15Jul 16Jul 17Jul 18Jul 19Jul 20Jul 21Jul 22

Jul 23Jul 24Jul 25Jul 26Jul 27Jul 28Jul 29

Education and Outreach 
7.2.2 TELEPHONE HOTLINE

The AirBeat project supplemented its Web site with a telephone hotline (617-427-9500) so that Roxbury res

dents without Internet access can still obtain timely information about air quality. The hotline, which continu

to operate today, reports current pollutant concentrations and also reports the highest concentrations for the c

rent day and the peak concentrations from the previous day. In addition, the hotline message interprets these 

from a public health standpoint and recommends actions that sensitive individuals can take to reduce exposu

The hotline system is fully automated. (See Chapter 6 for information on the technical aspects of setting up a

running a telephone hotline.) The voice on the hotline is that of a high school intern from ACE—a voice tha

meant to sound friendly and familiar to the local community.

7.2.3 FLAG SYSTEM

On Flag Day, June 14, 2000, students at Greater Egleston

Community High School in Roxbury launched a flag system

to provide the community with visual notification of air quality. The system uses colored flags that correspond with the

colors of the Air Quality Index (AQI) used to report pollutant

levels on the AirBeat Web site. A green flag is flown to indicate good air quality; a yellow flag indicates moderate air

quality; and a red flag indicates unhealthy pollutant levels.

The flags have been flown at two locations. One set of flags is

displayed at the high school and is operated by the students;

another set was located at the ACE offices in Dudley Square,

two blocks from the AirBeat monitoring station, and was

operated by ACE interns and staff. (This location has not

been used recently, due to landlord concerns.) Those people who

operate the system determine which flag should be displayed by

checking the AirBeat Web site for the most recent air quality data.

7-10 Chapter 

Listserv—using an automated system to distribute air quality alerts via e-mail, fax, or beeper notification to

names on a mailing list.

I-kiosk—building a kiosk in Dudley Square or another public location, offering round-the-clock access to the

AirBeat Web site for people without an Internet connection.

Television and radio reports—working with local stations to integrate air quality information into regular

weather, traffic, or news reports.

Appendix C describes another air quality project—the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership—which has

implemented some of these communication venues in its work.

A yellow flag, hung from the balcony of the A

offices, indicates moderate air quality.
7.2.4 PRESS RELEASES

Press releases can be a valuable tool in efforts to get the word out about a community-based air m

program. Writing a press release and distributing it to local newspapers, television stations, and o

outlets is a cost-effective way of reaching a large and varied audience. In fact, the survey conducte

interns in the fall of 1999 showed that, among Roxbury residents, television and newspapers were 

most popular media for receiving information on air pollution issues.

ACE led AirBeat’s efforts to conduct outreach through the media. ACE staff have contacts and w

relationships with individual newspapers and television stations, developed though years of worki

generate publicity about environmental justice issues. In addition, ACE staff have the writing, ed

and outreach skills needed for developing stories that will appeal to various news outlets. 

ACE issued several AirBeat press releases to the Boston media during the EMPACT grant period, 

timed to coincide with a newsworthy event, such as the unveiling of the AirBeat monitoring stati

the launch of the flag warning system by Roxbury high school students. These press releases prod

excellent results. Media coverage of AirBeat included articles in the Boston Globe, People’s Choic

Dorchester Community News, and television coverage by a major Boston station and a local cabl

Examples of AirBeat’s press releases are included at the end of this chapter. These can serve as a m

any AirBeat-type project that is launching its own outreach efforts. In addition, here are a few ba

follow for people who have little or no experience with distributing press releases:

• When issuing a press release, send it to as many news outlets as possible. Doing so increases 

odds of getting good results and also leverages the work you’ve already done in writing the r

• Try to target specific editors, reporters, and newscasters, especially any individuals whom yo

contacted in the past. Making personal contact with members of the press can be crucial. Th

of placing a story fall drastically if you just send a press release to a news desk or editorial de

since most news outlets are inundated with dozens (if not hundreds) of press releases daily.

• When sending a press release to a reporter or editor, try preceding it with a phone call or e-m

meant to kindle interest in the story. Or you could send the press release first, then follow u

e-mail or phone call. Remember that it pays to be persistent!

Education and Outreach 

1. Standard operating procedures should be developed to dictate how frequently the air quality shou

checked and how frequently the flag should be changed.

2. If the flag system is to be operated at a community center or high school, figure out who will oper

system on weekends or when school is not in session. If community members are going to rely on 

system for information, they must be able to depend on it.
businesses. The Internet address of the AirBeat Web site (www.airbeat.org) was included in all of the

publications as a source of additional information and real-time air quality data.

With the help of program staff, ACE’s youth interns developed their own eight-page publication called

the “Roxbury Air Quality Fact Sheet,” which described the sources and health effects of air pollution an

summarized what the AirBeat monitoring has indicated about pollutant levels in the Dudley Square

neighborhood of Roxbury. 

All of AirBeat’s flyers and fact sheets were written in English. ACE considered translating the materials i

other languages spoken by Roxbury residents (e.g., Spanish, Creole) but didn’t have the budget to do th

you are developing your own community-based monitoring program, you can assess the need for presen

outreach materials in multiple languages by getting to know the cultures of community residents. Chap

of this handbook provides tips on getting to know your target community.

7.2.6 CURRICULUM MODULE

ACE has developed and teaches an environmental justice curriculum as part of its Roxbury Environmen

Empowerment Project. This curriculum is taught to elementary and high school students at several Rox

schools. After the launch of the Dudley Square monitoring station, ACE began using information from 

AirBeat project to enhance its module on air pollution. Lessons were developed on air pollution sources

how the monitoring station works, and how the Air Quality Index is calculated.

Teachers who have used these lessons say that the AirBeat data have helped students understand air poll

tion in their neighborhood. Students have learned how to graph and manipulate data to compare local a

pollution levels with national air quality standards and to understand pollution trends. Students who co

plete the lessons understand that their neighborhood is a “hot spot” for air pollution and are better prep

to communicate about the problem and work for change.

7-12 Chapter 

Communicating About Uncertainty

From the outset of AirBeat, the project team recognized the importance of communicating with users about th

limitations of the real-time monitoring data. The team felt that users should be provided with information on

data completeness and uncertainty so that the reliability and availability of the data could be trusted.

The team decided to place the following statement about data quality on the AirBeat Web site:

"Real-time data on the AirBeat Web site (and hotline) are nearly always accurate. A computer program

automatically screens the data for values that are likely to be erroneous. However, before the data can be

considered fully ‘validated' it must be reviewed by a trained professional for quality assurance purposes.

For this reason, AirBeat's real-time data should be considered provisional or preliminary. Nonetheless, these

real-time data are generally of good quality and are being shared with the public through this pilot project

because of the value it holds for the community."
two city councilors). Their presence at the event

helped establish immediate credibility for the AirBeat

project. 

ACE also routinely gives tours of the monitoring

station to student groups, other Roxbury residents,

and visitors. The station has become a regular stop on the

“Toxics Tour” of Roxbury that ACE conducts. A monitoring technician with the Massachusetts D

of Environmental Protection has trained an ACE intern to lead the tours.

As a result of these tours and events, the monitoring station has become a familiar and accepted c

of the neighborhood. Most community members know where the station is, what it does, and wh

important.

7.2.8 WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS

ACE has incorporated information about the AirBeat project into many of its pre-existing enviro

justice programs in Roxbury. For example, ACE has incorporated AirBeat information into its wo

for youth peer groups from community health centers and housing developments. ACE staff have 

presentations at large community events such as the Youth Summit, which attracts roughly 200 y

participants.

All of these pre-existing programs have credibility and well-established constituencies among Roxb

residents. By delivering AirBeat information in the context of these programs, ACE has been able t

the process by which community members have become aware of the project and willing to rely on 

7.2.9 DIRECT OUTREACH TO NURSES AND OTHER HEAL

CARE PROVIDERS

Nurses and other health care providers are a key target for AirBeat’s outreach efforts. These indivi

into regular contact with asthmatic children and others who are susceptible to air pollution. Beca

and because of their credibility as highly trained professionals, health care providers have a uniqu

nity to educate their patients about the connections between air pollution and respiratory illnesse

about the steps that people can take to reduce harmful exposures.

During the EMPACT grant period, AirBeat relied on direct communication when conducting ou

health care providers. This typically involved visiting health centers and hospitals to talk to provid

the AirBeat project and about the role that outdoor air pollutants can play in exacerbating asthm

symptoms and triggering asthma attacks. In addition, ACE interns delivered presentations at seve

centers in the Roxbury area. The point of these visits and presentations was to make health care p

aware that their patients can use AirBeat’s air quality forecasts and real-time data to reduce their e

when pollutant levels are high. The AirBeat team tried to establish ongoing relationships with som

centers. In the future, AirBeat hopes to develop a system for delivering air quality data or pollutio

directly to health centers via fax.

Education and Outreach 

ACE interns present their work at an A

event in Dudley Square.
the AirBeat project found that the students regularly checked the air quality information on the AirBeat

Web site and often reduced their outdoor activities on “bad air days.” These students, however, were am

those Roxbury youths who were most involved with the project, and were not necessarily representative 

the public at large.

Due to the limitations of this type of anecdotal information, the AirBeat team relies on other indicators 

measure of the effectiveness of their outreach efforts. For example:

• The AirBeat team estimates that the project’s Web site was online and available about 99 percent o

the time during the EMPACT grant period. The air quality data were current (not more than one

hour old) roughly 95 percent of the time. The Web site is still operational today.

• In the spring of 2001, the Web site received an average of 42 hits per day.

• Over 300 Roxbury students have visited the Dudley Square monitoring station and received a tou

the station’s instrumentation.

• ACE staff incorporated AirBeat information into over 30 public workshops conducted between 19

and 2001.

If nothing else, these numbers indicate that hundreds (if not thousands) of Roxbury residents have been

introduced to the AirBeat project and made aware of the connection between air pollution and health

problems.

7-14 Chapter 
Education and Outreach 

Ozone (abbreviated as O3) and fine particulate matter (abbreviated as PM2.5) affect different people in differen

Moreover, as their concentrations increase, more and more people experience health effects and the effects can 

more serious. To simplify matters, the U.S. EPA has developed an Air Quality Index (AQI) that rates the over

of the air and the people at greatest risk.

Much of the PM2.5 outside is capable of penetrating indoors, especially if windows are open and no air condit

used. Ozone is also capable of penetrating indoors, but not as effectively as PM2.5. Regardless of their penetrat

important to know that the indoor environment presents a whole other set of air pollution issues. Pollutants c

found indoors include tobacco smoke, insecticides, radon, lead paint, mold, dust, and animal hair. Oftentime

tion indoors can be worse than pollution outdoors. This is a serious issue for families coping with asthma. For 

information on asthma and its causes, visit our links page. 

AirBeat also provides realtime information on a pollutant called black carbon. In urban areas, black carbon is 

mostly from diesel engines found in trucks, busses, generators, and construction equipment. Black carbon is o

many components of PM2.5, but has the unique ability to absorb toxic gasses and deliver them to the lungs. T

cific health effects of black carbon can not be stated with much certainty. However, diesel exhaust as a whole (

contains blackcarbon) is associated with increases in lung cancer and may lead to inflammation of the airways 

cause or worsen asthma.

Ozone, fine particulate matter, and black carbon provide good indicators of the overall air quality in Roxbury 

account for much of the risk that residents face from air pollution. However, there is another category of air p

commonly known as air toxics. Air toxics are comprised of dozens of different compounds that typically occu

concentrations. However, as a whole, and over the span of many years, their effects can be significant if concen

are high enough. These include cancer, damage to the nervous system, and birth defects. Currently, technolog

readily available to report air toxics in realtime. However, monitoring of air toxics is underway in Roxbury, an

will be posted on this Web site when available. In the meantime, you can find out more about air toxics by vi

EPA’s air toxics Web site. 

Finally, everyone should be careful to avoid too much exposure to the sun, especially children and especially d

summer. Ultraviolet rays (uv) from the sun not only cause sunburn and permanent damage to the skin, but th

lead to cataracts and suppression of the skin’s immunity system. To learn more about ultraviolet rays and to ge

information and uv forecasts, visit EPA’s SunWise Web site.

Ground-Level Ozone Health Effects Fine Particulate Matter

(O3) (not all of these are noticeable) (PM2.5)

✓ Coughing, irritation of the airways, discomfort in the chest or when breathing.

✓ Premature aging of the lungs.

✓ Faster or more shallow breathing. ✓

✓ Aggravation of asthma, emphysema, ✓

and other respiratory diseases.

✓ Increased risk of respiratory infections. ✓

Premature death (primarily among the elderly and ✓

those with existing heart and lung disease).
7-16 Chapter 

• Try to spend more time in a cool environment, preferable air conditioned, when pollution levels are high.

• Check with the elderly and the other sensitive individuals on a regular basis to make sure they’re OK.

• Monitor pollution levels using the AirBeat Web site or the AirBeat hotline (617-427-9500) to determine when

the pollution is at its worst and when it returns to healthy conditions. 

• Tell a friend, family member, or neighbor about the current levels of air pollution and what they should do.

• Bring any lung disease symptom to a doctor’s attention early. Then follow the doctor’s advice. 

• Make sure medications are readily available (e.g., asthma inhalers, heart medication, etc.).

Help reduce air pollution: 

• Avoid smoking indoors or in the presence of children and other non-smokers. 

• Avoid driving and filling your gas tank on high pollution days. 

• Keep your car well-tuned and the tires properly inflated. 

• Try to save energy on high pollution days, but don’t shut off your air conditioner or heater to do so. 

Get involved with local efforts to improve Boston’s air quality:

• Join the Environmental Justice Network or simply register with its email news service.

• Attend local meetings on transportation, air quality, and land use development.

• Contact us to request a tour of the Roxbury air monitoring station.
Education and Outreach 
7-18 Chapter 
Education and Outreach 

-more7-20 Chapter 
Education and Outreach 
7-22 Chapter 
Three types of environmental data are collected in the Paso del Norte region: air quality, traffic, and 

Air quality data for ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate matter are used to 

public about increased air pollution and associated health risks. Traffic information obtained throug

monitoring is used to inform the public about volume delays, road construction delays, accidents, a

impedances. In addition, traffic data are incorporated into air quality analyses. This synthesis is criti

vehicles, particularly idling vehicles at border crossings, are a major contributor to air quality proble

region. Weather information is practical both as helpful day-to-day information and as an air pollut

The Paso del Norte Environmental Monitoring Project aims to improve the dissemination of inform

through:

• Coordination among various agencies, institutions, organizations, and broadcasters within the 

Norte region.

• Development of standards for sharing information and displaying it to the public and decision

the region.

• Establishment of a communications infrastructure for timely environmental information.

• Public outreach programs that improve local understanding of individual actions that can be d

improve the quality of the environment.

• Education of future generations by developing opportunities for students to conduct research a

involved in the improvement of the environment.

PROJECT PARTNERS

The City of El Paso is the lead agency for the Paso del Norte Environmental Monitoring Project. Pr

ners include the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), the Texas Natural Resource Conservation C

the El Paso City County Health Management District, the New Mexico Environment Department, 

Departamento de Ecologia en Cuidad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico.

The support of these agencies and institutions arose from the official support of the Joint Advisory C

(JAC), a bi-national organization that meets quarterly to review and make recommendations related 

to improve air quality in the Paso del Norte region. Because the JAC includes representatives from f

and local governments, educational institutions, industry, and others, its endorsement helps ensure c

and on-going support from the many entities needed to implement the Paso del Norte project.

MONITORING

Air Quality

Twenty-five existing continuous air monitoring stations (CAMS) are used to collect air quality da

Texas, six in New Mexico, and five in Mexico. Data are collected every 5 minutes at the monitori

CAMS in the Paso del Norte region are operated by four separate government agencies, serving th

two countries. Monitoring station calibration occurs every 28 days during the colder months, and 

are performed once a week.

Appendix A 
(NWS) in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, are retrieved at a server at UTEP by means of an ftp connection.

Visibility images from NWS satellite links and the UV index forecast from EPA’s Sun Wise Program We

site also are transferred to UTEP. These data are processed through a series of algorithms and redisplaye

Current temperature, UV intensity, relative humidity, wind speed, and heat index readings appear in dig

form on the Paso del Norte project Web site. Graphs showing changes in various weather parameters als

are on the Web site.

DATA MANAGEMENT

Air quality data, traffic volume data, traffic video images, weather data, and static and live images from a

Webcam are transferred from monitoring locations, hubs, and Web sites run by multiple agencies. As wit

other aspects of the Paso del Norte project, communications between agencies is vital to processing the ti

environmental data. UTEP collects and processes the data from the different agencies to upload onto the

project Web site. Data storage for the Paso del Norte project includes an ftp server and access via interact

searches and select features provided on the project’s Internet server. Queries can be performed in the air 

traffic databases to identify data sets of interest and download them using anonymous ftp file transfer.

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

There are five major elements of the Paso del Norte project’s outreach program: the project’s Web site,

Ozone Action Days, the Community Scholars Program, television outreach, and digital information rea

outs. The project’s Web site (http://www.ozonemap.org), which contains all of the collected data and is

presented in both English and Spanish, is the primary vehicle for communicating timely information. T

Web site also includes a link to Ozone Action Days, a Webpage that describes an ozone action day, prov

information on how to protect yourself on such days, and provides recommendations on what not to do

(e.g., avoid driving at lunchtime) on an ozone action day. The Community Scholars Program is a grantfunded, non-profit summer internship program designed to foster leadership skills in local high school

students by involving them in research on environmental issues. The regional broadcast affiliate, KFOX

broadcasts air quality information and announces ozone action days during their evening broadcasts, an

local television station (Channel 56) and Universidad Autonoma de Cd. Juárez provide daily visualizati

of carbon monoxide and ozone levels in Cd. Juárez during the evening news. In addition, digital readou

located in strategic areas are used to provide information on environmental and traffic conditions. 

In order to make the data provided in these outreach activities as accessible as possible, the Paso del Nor

project uses data visualization tools to graphically depict information. Examples include 3D maps, color

coding, tables and charts, GIS, and live and static images. Graphic representations of environmental dat

are used on Web sites, in reports and educational materials, and in other outreach and communication 

tiatives. All of these materials can be viewed in English or in Spanish, and certain formats are download

by the public or by local television stations for rebroadcast.

A-2 Appendix 
develop and implement community-based risk-reduction projects. By identifying the pollutants th

sent the greatest health risk, continually monitoring them, and communicating monitoring result

to the community, CAP seeks to effectively address the air quality issues that are most vital to the 

There are two key elements of the CAP program: flexible research and community outreach. Unl

other programs, CAP did not set out to monitor a predetermined set of pollutants. Instead, it beg

monitoring a range of 93 different pollutants in order to identify the set of pollutants that posed 

health risk to the local community. It then tailored an ongoing monitoring and research program 

those key pollutants. This flexibility has allowed the program to evolve over time to fit the needs 

community. In addition, the local community has been involved in developing and implementing 

program through monthly community partnership meetings. These meetings give community rep

tives an opportunity to help direct the CAP project, communicate to the project coordinators wh

resources the community would find most useful, and learn about the most recent findings of the 

program research. 

Although several project monitoring stations will continue operating indefinitely, the final St. Lou

report is expected in October 2003.

PROJECT PARTNERS

CAP is a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Missouri Department of 

Resources (DNR), and the City of Saint Louis, which includes the Saint Louis Association of Co

Organizations (SLACO), Washington University in St. Louis, and St. Louis University’s School o

Health, as well as various industry representatives, and health and environmental organizations.

MONITORING

CAP began monitoring air pollutants including carbonyls, VOCs (volatile organic compounds), m

semi-volatiles in May 2001. The project utilizes three monitoring stations—one core station and 

lite VOC stations. Multiple monitoring locations allow CAP to monitor VOC pollutants both sp

temporally to better characterize mobile, industrial, and area source influences. When choosing lo

the project monitoring stations, researchers used the following criteria: vertical placement at eithe

level or on the roof of a 1- or 2-story building; enough distance from obstructions to have adequa

(using the rule that the distance from an obstruction must be twice the distance between their he

a distance of at least 45 feet from smaller residential streets, 100 feet from major roads, and a qua

from any freeways. 

The data collected at the core monitor indicate that formaldehyde, an EPA-identified health risk, 

in amounts that exceed long-term health benchmarks for both cancer and non-cancer risks. A rev

data also indicates a possibility that peak ambient levels may periodically exceed short-term health 

marks. Other pollutants of concern include benzene and arsenic.

Appendix B 
CAP does not have a complex data management system because it does not currently provide real-time

data and therefore does not have the same volume of data to handle as other research projects. Currently

24-hour samples from all of the monitoring sites are analyzed, approved by the Missouri DNR, and

eventually posted on a public Web page. Data management needs are likely to increase when the new

CAP program Web site and real-time monitoring station come online.

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

From its inception, CAP has involved the local community in the project planning and development

process, and has informed the public of air quality measurement results through outreach and education

CAP’s outreach and education plan is defined in an official CAP document called the Community

Involvement Plan (CIP), which consists of four elements: outreach and education, engagement, results,

and resources.

As part of the outreach portion of the CIP, CAP holds monthly partnership meetings with stakeholder

organizations, community members, and other interested parties. These meetings, begun in late 2000, h

been very successful and draw 30 to 40 participants each month. The meetings provide a forum for par

pants to help establish air quality health benchmarks, set the CAP agenda, and learn about the latest pro

findings. Community input gathered during these meetings is a driving force in the ongoing evolution 

CAP.

CAP also developed a project Web site to provide the community with access to information and the

opportunity to become engaged in local efforts to improve air quality. In 2002, CAP planned to update

the Web site to provide sample results from the ambient air (24-hour) monitoring, as well as other relev

health and air quality information. To learn more about the CAP project, please refer to their current

Web site at http://stlouis.missouri.org/stlcap/index.htm.

B-2 Appendix 
• Increase participation of regional institutions in emissions reduction activities. 

• Increase responsible decision-making that incorporates air quality considerations.

The Partnership is particularly noteworthy because of its innovative outreach and education camp

Unlike the other programs described in this document, the Partnership does not perform any pol

monitoring or data analysis. It simply gathers data published by outside sources and disseminates 

local community using a program Web site (www.cleanair-stlouis.com), e-mails and broadcast faxe

television news, and other outlets.

PROJECT PARTNERS

The St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership was created in 1995 by the American Lung Associa

St. Louis Regional Commerce and Growth Association, Washington University, and other partne

Partnership has since grown and now includes the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, th

Environmental Protection Agency, East-West Gateway Coordinating Council, RideFinders, the M

and Illinois Departments of Transportation, the Bi-State Development Agency, KMOV-TV, sever

organizations, and a variety of other local stakeholders.

MONITORING

The Partnership does not independently monitor air quality. It uses ozone data from 16 monitors 

by the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and the Il

Environmental Protection Agency.

DATA MANAGEMENT

The Partnership has practically no data management needs because it does not operate monitorin

or process its own data. Ozone data gathered at the city, county, and state monitors are posted on 

Internet by the individual agencies, and the Partnership simply downloads this publicly available 

OUTREACH AND EDUCATION

There are four main components of the Partnership’s outreach and education campaign: the prog

site, televised ozone forecasts, an ozone warning listserv, and the Clean Air Pass.

The Partnership Web site (www.cleanair-stlouis.com) provides an air quality forecast, links to infor

Partnership initiatives, FAQs, archived ozone data, and links to relevant articles and press releases

the Web site, air quality information is available to the public 24 hours a day.

The Partnership works with KMOV-TV, the local CBS affiliate, to produce and publicize a daily 

forecast. During its initial stages, the Partnership used grant money to purchase a computer mode

produces an air quality forecast using data drawn from the local monitoring stations. The Partner

the software to KMOV on the condition that it publicize the daily air quality forecast during its l

broadcast. The Partnership trained the station’s staff to use the software and input the necessary d

Appendix C 
extremely cost-efficient program for the Partnership to run.

The Partnership also works with the Bi-State Development Agency, KMOV-TV, and Schnucks Markets 

provide the “Clean Air Pass” program. In order to help control air pollution, the Clean Air Pass allows r

dents to ride public transportation at a discounted rate during summer months when ground-level ozon

levels are at their highest. The 3-month pass (June through August) is available on the Partnership’s Web

site, at the MetroRide Store, and at most Schnucks Markets.

C-2 Appendix 
g

corresponding to a different level of health concern. Each category 

associated with a color.

Black carbon One of the many components of fine particulate matter. Black car

is similar to soot and is emitted directly into the air from virtually 

combustion activities. It is especially prevalent in diesel exhaust, w

to be the primary source of black carbon in urban areas. 

Clean Air Act The comprehensive federal law that regulates emissions of air pollu

the United States. The original Clean Air Act was passed in 1963, 

national air pollution control program is actually based on the 197

of the law. The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments are the most far-

revisions of the 1970 law.

Criteria pollutants A group of very common air pollutants regulated by EPA on the b

criteria (information on health and/or environmental effects of po

Criteria air pollutants are widely distributed all over the country. T

include ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM10), fine particulate m

(PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide (NO

and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

Data Quality Objectives Qualitative and quantitative statements, developed using the EPA 

Quality Objective (DQO) Process, that clarify the objectives of an 

mental data collection effort and specify tolerable levels of potentia

DQOs establish the quality and quantity of data needed to suppor

decisions. 

NAAQS NAAQS stands for “National Ambient Air Quality Standards.” Th

Air Act requires EPA to set a primary and secondary NAAQS for e

ria pollutant. Primary standards set limits to protect public health, 

the health of “sensitive” populations such as asthmatics, children, a

elderly. Secondary standards set limits to protect public welfare, inc

tection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, v

and buildings.

Ozone A odorless, colorless gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Ozon

both in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, where it forms a protective 

shields people from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, and at groun

Ground-level ozone is a major ingredient of smog, and it can harm 

health by damaging their lungs.

Glossary 
to ensure that a process, item, or service is of the type and quality needed

and expected by the client.

Quality control The overall system of technical activities that measures the attributes and

performance of a process, item, or service against defined standards to ve

that they meet the stated requirements established by the customer; oper

tional techniques and activities that are used to fulfill requirements for

quality.

Real time In this handbook, the term “real time” is used to indicate that data are

presented to the public almost as soon as they are collected, with only a

slight delay for data processing and quality assurance. AirBeat reports po

tant concentrations as hourly averages, with results generally made availa

to the public within 15 minutes of the end of the averaging period.

SLAMS SLAMS stands for “State and Local Air Monitoring Stations.” A SLAMS

system consists of a carefully planned network of fixed monitoring statio

which carry out ambient air monitoring for criteria pollutants under the

Clean Air Act. EPA uses SLAMS data to determine if an area is meeting 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards for criteria pollutants.

SOPs SOP stands for “Standard Operating Procedure.” An SOP is a set of writ

instructions that document a routine or repetitive activity followed by an

organization. In an environmental data collection effort, the developmen

and use of SOPs are an integral part of a successful quality system as it

provides individuals with the information to perform a job properly, and

facilitates consistency in the quality and integrity of the product or end

result.

G-2 Glossa
2Recycled/Recyclable

Printed with vegetable-based ink on

paper that contains a minimum of

50% post-consumer fiber content

processed chlorine free.