Vector cartoon illustration of kids cough from smoke, dirty air and smog clouds in front of school and a hand holding a PM2.5 air pollution smartphone application.

Community Science Air Monitoring

DEP monitors air pollution throughout New Jersey to protect public health and the environment

Communities can now also monitor their own air quality, using portable and relatively affordable instruments. These “low-cost sensors” range in price from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Use a low-cost sensor to:

  • Learn more about air pollution
  • Find local sources of pollution
  • Monitor hotspots
  • Collect data for your own research
What's the Best Approach to Using Low-Cost Sensors?
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What Kinds of Low-Cost Sensors Are Available?
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What Do My Sensor Readings Mean & What are Normal Levels?
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What Type of Low-Cost Sensor Project Works for You?
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Additional Resources
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What’s the Best Approach to Using Low-Cost Sensors?

Hand holding PM 2.5 detector over smog city from PM2.5 dust on background low visibility city with dangerous haze and fog.
What Do You Want to Find Out or Show With Your Measurements?

Before choosing a project type and low-cost sensor, first identify:

  • The air pollution issue that concerns you
  • The field conditions you are likely to encounter
  • The length of time you should collect data
  • The potential quality of these measurements

Use the information above to develop a question or goal that air monitoring can help to answer.

Here are a few examples:

  1. How can I teach my students about air quality and integrate hands-on data collection into the lesson plan?
  2. What is my exposure to air pollution during my usual walking route?
  3. Are pollutant levels higher near a source in my neighborhood?
At a busy intersection with traffic signals and stop lights in Denver, Colorado on a winter day, exhaust pours out of tailpipes from accelerating cars, trucks, and other vehicles as they drive onto a snowy Santa Fe Drive when the left arrow turns green.
What Pollutants Do You Want to Measure?

To get the sensor that will fit your needs, you have to decide on a target pollutant or pollutants.  In other words, what should your low-cost sensor be able to measure?

Some pollutants can be found in the air everywhere, such as the ones that NJDEP monitors:

  • Ozone (O3)
  • Particulate matter (PM2.5)
  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
  • Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)

These criteria pollutants have National Ambient Air Quality Standards that are set at levels protective of human health and the environment.

Other pollutants may not be routinely monitored, and may even be difficult to measure.  Some can have local impacts when they are emitted by nearby facilities or mobile sources (cars, buses or trucks).

Learn more about air toxics.

What Kinds of Low-Cost Sensors Are Available?

Low-cost sensors range in price from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, while regulatory monitors like those used by NJDEP can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Some give results in actual concentrations, some use a yes/no light to indicate the presence of a pollutant, and others use a color code to indicate whether levels are of concern. The sensor you select should be able to collect data that will answer your questions.

RESOURCES TO HELP YOU SELECT THE APPROPRIATE LOW-COST SENSORS

SENSORS AVAILABLE FROM NJDEP

  • NJDEP has a limited number of low-cost sensors that community groups can borrow. Contact the Bureau of Air Monitoring at bamweb@njdepwptest.net about what is currently available.
  • For an example of how sensors can be used for a classroom project, see the Student Air Monitoring Project.
What Kind of Funding Assistance is Available?

Funding is sometimes made available by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) or other public health agencies for community groups to carry out studies using low-cost sensors. The funding may require partnering with a university or state agency.

What Do My Sensor Readings Mean & What Are Normal Levels?

The following sources can help you understand different levels of air pollution:

AIR QUALITY INDEX
AQI LevelPublic Health Risk
Good (0-50)Air pollution poses little or no risk.
Moderate (51-100)Air quality is acceptable but may affect people who are unusually sensitive.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150)Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects.
Unhealthy (151-200)Everyone may begin to experience health effects.
Very Unhealthy (201-300)Health warning: The entire population is likely to experience health effects.
Hazardous (301-500)Health alert: Everyone may experience serious health effects.

What Type of Low-Cost Sensor Project Works for You?

Read through the 4 project descriptions here before deciding which type of project you’d like to do.

NJDEP has developed technical guidance for four types of low-cost sensor projects. After reading through the project descriptions, use the table below to link to guidance documents that will help you develop and carry out that specific type of project.

Contact the Bureau of Air Monitoring at bamweb@njdepwptest.net if you have questions about doing a community science project.

Also see the “Additional Resources” below.

Guidance for 4 Types of Low-Cost Air Sensor Projects

Type Purpose Description LeveL of Effort
1 General Information and Education Sensors indicate the presence or absence of pollutants, or relative quantities, with indicator lights or color coding. Low
2 Personal Exposure Monitoring

Individual
Group
Wearable sensors measure air pollution that individuals are exposed to during their daily routines. Medium-High
3 Supplementary Network Monitoring Sensors are placed in an area where the regulatory network is lacking to better understand air quality in those locations. Medium-High
4 Hotspot Identification and Characterization A cluster of sensors is placed downwind of or around a source to identify its potential air pollution impacts. High

Additional Resources