Buffalo, New York

Air Monitoring Grant Update

Pollutant(s) of Interest	PM2.5 and NO2 (NO2 data collected a mobile monitoring vehicle in addition to NO2 data derived from satellite measurements of the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI))
Primary Objective	Improve air monitoring in Buffalo, NY by deploying low-cost ambient air pollution sensors at optimal sampling sites and develop a community-specific air quality prediction model by integrating the collected sensor measurements with existing data. Data will be converted to quantitative and qualitative information useful to develop interventions for adverse health outcome, inform local leaders and educate community members.
# of New Devices	PurpleAir (40)
Monitoring Device(s)	PurpleAir,  TSI DUSTTRAK 8533, Aeroqual S500
Primary grantee contact	University of Buffalo SUNY
Key grant partners	Buffalo Center for Health Equity, African-American Health Equity Task Force
More Information	https://ubairqualitystudy.github.io/EPA-Website/index.html

Researchers at SUNY Buffalo have suspected for years that there may be a connection

between poor air quality and public health outcomes in the Buffalo region, and have long sought more monitoring data to test their theory.  These scientists tracked emergency room visits linked to asthma and other respiratory illnesses.  The researchers found that in Buffalo neighborhoods where ER visits were highest, there was little air quality information available.

SUNY Buffalo received an IRA grant from EPA to initiate an extensive community engagement effort and build a local monitoring network.  The university began by partnering with two local community organizations—the African-America Health Equity Task Force and the Buffalo Center for Health Equity. This project is meant to do two things: create better public awareness of the need for air quality information, especially for families with young children and older adults, and to supplement existing air monitoring data by deploying low-cost sensors at peoples’ homes. SUNY Buffalo will integrate the data from these sensors with data from Buffalo’s mobile monitoring lab to produce a comprehensive analysis of PM2.5 and NO2 pollution in the Buffalo region. The resulting monitoring data will be posted on a user-friendly website that is available to the public.  

Through these partnerships, SUNY Buffalo engaged with residents about the potential

health impacts associated with air quality and how to interpret air quality data. The team has identified dozens of families interested in receiving an air sensor on their property, and is working with these residents to get the sensor system operating. Once the sensor network is complete, SUNY Buffalo will hold monthly stakeholder meetings to answer air quality questions, talk through air sensor and monitoring data, and begin the process of spreading air quality information outside of the study area. With limited localized data in lower income parts of Buffalo, baseline air quality information will be used to inform future actions to improve health and environmental outcomes.