"Open Air Chicago," nation's largest air quality sensor network, monitors real-time air pollution
Chicago has the largest air quality monitoring network in the country thanks to a partnership between the city, the University of Illinois Chicago, and local community groups.
The air we breathe across Chicago is not the same, and experts said that's why the network of sensors is so important.
As of Tuesday afternoon, they showed higher levels in Avalon Park. Experts explained what that means and what people who live in the neighborhood need to know.
What's more important than the air we breathe? The largest network of air quality sensors in the country, and the second largest in the world, evaluates air quality every 10 minutes.
"We're in a position to inform our residents about what their air quality will be," said Serap Erdal, associate professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the UIC School of Public Health.
Erdal leads an effort with the city and community groups to use 277 solar-powered sensors across the city to measure two airborne pollutants – fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, such as vehicle exhaust.
The project is called Open Air Chicago and will run using grants for the next five years.
Residents across the city will be able to track their air quality during that time using an interactive map on the Open Air Chicago website.
Erpdal said, if the numbers where Chicagoans live are concerning, "they should adjust their daily activities, particularly if they are suffering from asthma or other respiratory or cardiovascular diseases."
"The goal is to have targeted informed public health decision-making," Erdal said.
Between May 1 and May 18, the network showed individual sensors with the highest particulate matter readings, such as dust and soot, were found in Avalon Park, Gage Park, Portage Park, Austin, North Lawndale, and New City (more commonly known as Back of the Yards).
Avalon Park topped the list, where the sensor registered readings in the yellow (moderate) category for air quality on five days in May.
Erdal explained those numbers fluctuate. A different neighborhood could top the list in June.
"Is it an inside day or an outside day? People are going to be able to know that information going into all of the summer issues that arise," said Grace Adams, environmental health projects administrator with the Chicago Department of Public Health.
When the project wraps, the data from the sensor network will help guide urban planning – like permitting and plans for green spaces – and allow experts to target specific hotspots for air quality control.
"That way we're going to be able to look at policies that can help make larger change down the line," Adams said.
You can check out how your neighborhood stacks up and sign up for alerts on the Open Air Chicago website so you'll know if air quality changes.
Graphs showing the air quality in the top six neighborhoods for pollution concerns in May are below:
Avalon Park:
Portage Park:
Gage Park:
Austin:
North Lawndale:
New City: