The St. Louis Community-based Air Quality Monitoring Program, Air Watch St. Louis, aims to equitably, scientifically, and strategically site air quality monitors at identified congregations throughout St. Louis to help fill the air quality data gap throughout the region. This approach is growing community power through base-building, leadership development, and the development of community-led campaigns and actions to address air quality concerns to public health.
The St. Louis Community-Based Air Quality Monitoring Program aims to promote Environmental Justice (EJ) to achieve health equity by addressing one of the leading urban environmental challenges outlined in the Environmental Racism in St. Louis report, air quality. The program will bring together EJ organizers, community and clergy leaders, and science-based partners.
Our founding partners include members of the STL Interfaith EJ Task Force of Metropolitan Congregations United (MCU), science-based partners at The Nature Conservancy in Missouri, The Turner Group – a research lab within the Environmental, Energy, and Chemical Engineering Department at Washington University, and Washington University’s Environmental Studies Program.
Air quality monitoring is being conducted using devices manufactured by QuantAQ. The measurements listed by each sensor are updated in real time and thus prior to validation by the Turner group. These data will be analyzed to assess their quality. Upon finishing quality control procedures, the data will be made available on the website under a “Historical Records” section. These historical records will be a more reliable source of accurate air quality measurements in comparison to the real time pre-processed unvalidated data. Therefore, if looking to make use of air quality data for initiatives related to public health, environmental racism, etc., use the historical records. The real time pre-processed data simply serve as tool to observe potential air quality trends inform current air quality conditions.