This US neighborhood is full of hazardous air pollution. Can a network of sensors make ‘the invisible visible’?
Summary
Pacoima, a neighborhood in Los Angeles with high air pollution, is using small sensors to measure local air quality. These sensors help residents track pollution in real time since official monitors are far away and don’t show detailed local conditions.Key Facts
- Pacoima is a densely populated, working-class neighborhood in northeast Los Angeles.
- The area is surrounded by highways, has a small airport, heavy industry, landfills, and a rail line.
- Pacoima faces higher pollution levels than nearby neighborhoods.
- Nearly 9% of Pacoima residents have asthma.
- Pacoima Beautiful, a local group, runs a program with Aeroqual sensors to monitor pollutants like PM2.5 and ozone.
- The sensors connect to residents’ internet and provide real-time local air quality data.
- Data collected helps the community push for better environmental management and climate projects.
- Traditional official air quality monitors are miles away, so local sensors fill a gap in data for the community.
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