Hartford Air Pollution Monitoring

If you would like to help us by hosting a monitor at your home or place of business, please fill out the form here.

We need your help! The Hartford Air Pollution Monitoring Project is interested in partnering with the community of North Hartford to monitor particulate pollution in the area. Our goal is to understand the area’s air quality and pollution exposure of North Hartford residents. Our findings will be shared to help protect the members of the community.

Host Responsibilities

As a host, your only responsibility is to report any issues the monitors are experiencing to the project coordinators as they arise. Monitors will be provided and installed by us.

The PurpleAir monitor that we use.

Site Requirements

A suitable location for the monitors would:

  • Have an outdoor outlet
  • Have a place to mount the monitor
  • Be free from physical obstructions (e.g. shrubs and trees)
  • Be away from sources that can interfere with the monitor readings
    • e.g. idling vehicles, parking lot entrances, smoking areas, exhaust fans etc
  • Have wifi connectivity (preferred)

If you would like to host a monitor at your home or place of business, please fill out the form here.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Benjamin Hansen at benjamin.hansen@uconn.edu. The principal investigator for this project is Dr. Kristina Wagstrom, who can be reached via email at kristina.wagstrom@uconn.edu if needed.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is particulate pollution?

Particulate matter (PM), known as particulate pollution, is a mixture of liquid droplets and solid particles suspended in the air.

Why are we studying particulate pollution in North Hartford?

There have been scientific studies that link exposure to particle pollution to a variety of lung and cardiovascular problems. People living in urban areas have a higher risk of being exposed to PM and are more vulnerable to these health effects.

What kind of monitors do we use?

The monitors that we will be using are PurpleAir PA-II SD monitors. For more information on the monitors, visit https://www2.purpleair.com/.