Photos courtesy of UCLA
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The installation of 20 air quality monitoring sensor stations in West Los Angeles has been completed this month in an effort led by UCLA researchers—providing “real-time information to residents about safety as reconstruction work progresses in Pacific Palisades and adjacent neighborhoods.”
The effort, known as the Community Action Project Los Angeles Air, includes sensor stations installed in “secure locations” spanning from Topanga State Park through the Palisades toward Brentwood and south to Santa Monica.
The network provides “easily understood updates from each station,” which are superimposed over a “public, online dashboard” that “maps the region every five to 10 minutes.”
“The data includes color-coded icons for air quality ranging from good (green) through hazardous (dark red) for a variety of potentially dangerous airborne particles, ranging from 10 micrometers, PM10 (about the width of a cotton fiber), to 2.5 micrometers, PM2.5, or 30 times smaller than a human hair,” according to information shared by UCLA.
Air quality expert Dr. Yifang Zhu of UCLA Fielding School of Public Health is leading the effort. Zhu explained that “while there are existing sensor networks that track PM 2.5,” “there’s a real gap when it comes to monitoring PM10,” which Zhu described as “coarse particles.”
PM10 particles typically come from “dust from roads and construction, soil particles and natural dust, pollen and mold spores, and industrial activities,” according to information on the map. They can be inhaled and “may cause irritation to your eyes, nose and throat.”
PM 2.5 particles come from “vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, smoke from fires and chemical reactions in the atmosphere,” the map read. These particles can “penetrate deep into your lungs and even enter your bloodstream, potentially causing serious health problems.”
Zhu noted it’s “important to measure both fine and coarse particles to gain a complete picture of air quality and community exposure.”
On Tuesday morning, July 22, 19 sensors were active on the dashboard, with all but two air quality levels in the “good” range, with two PM10 monitors reading as “moderate.” There is a “view recent trends” feature available for viewers to access data from the past 24 hours.
“Our goal here is to give residents access to real-time, local air quality data, help identify pollution hotspots and inform public health responses,” Zhu said.
If air quality is not “good,” Zhu suggested limiting “strenuous outdoor activities.” Measures one could take in that case also include staying indoors with windows and doors closed “to reduce the infiltration of outdoor pollutants.” She also suggested filtering indoor air by running an HVAC system with a MERV 13 or higher filter, or use a certified HEPA portable air cleaner recommended by the California Air Resources Board.
“If you must go outside, wear a properly fitted N95 or K95 mask to filter out those particles,” Zhu said for when air quality is not “good.”
The UCLA-led team is leading the western Los Angeles monitoring project, while a similar effort is underway in the Altadena/Pasadena area for the Eaton fire. The West LA effort has been jointly funded by nonprofit R&S Kayne Foundation and Danhakl Foundation.
“As both a mother and a physician living in the Palisades, I believe Dr. Zhu’s air quality research is essential for all residents,” said Dr. Victoria Danhakl, trustee of the Danhakl Family Foundation. “Air sensors are tools that give us real-time data to protect our kids, our patients and our community.”
To view the dashboard, visit cap.la/capair.
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