Improving Air Quality Monitoring in the Pajaro Valley with Community-Centered Approach

Strategic Insights -

The Pajaro Valley in California is home to many farmworkers who are exposed to air pollutants from pesticides and wildfires, leading to long-lasting health effects. To address this issue, researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz, have launched a project to improve air quality monitoring in the region. Led by Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics Javier Gonzalez-Rocha, the initiative aims to empower community members to make informed decisions about their health by providing real-time air quality information. The project has deployed 25 new sensors near schools and other locations, which display color-coded lights reflecting current air quality conditions. In addition to the new infrastructure, the researchers are exploring novel methods to make air quality data accessible to affected communities, combining sensor information with data from drones to better model and predict pollution levels.

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of California, Santa Cruz, has launched a project to improve air quality monitoring in the Pajaro Valley, led by Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics Javier Gonzalez-Rocha.
  • The project aims to empower community members to make informed decisions about their health by providing real-time air quality information.
  • 25 new sensors have been deployed near schools and other locations, which display color-coded lights reflecting current air quality conditions.
  • The researchers are exploring novel methods to make air quality data accessible to affected communities, combining sensor information with data from drones to better model and predict pollution levels.
  • The project includes collaborations with Watsonville-based climate justice organization Regeneración and the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
  • The initiative seeks to address the compounding effects of wildfire smoke and other air pollutants, particularly in underserved farmworking communities.
  • Researchers are working to develop culturally relevant resources that are accessible and usable by community members.
  • The project is also focusing on educational initiatives, including a summer drone camp, to expose students to technology and environmental sensing.
  • In addition to the new infrastructure, the researchers will use drones to take 'vertical' measurements, capturing data from different levels of the atmosphere to better measure and model pollutants.

Statistics:

  • 25 new sensors have been deployed in the Pajaro Valley.
  • Air quality data from the drones will be combined with sensor information to better model and predict pollution levels.
  • The project aims to empower community members to make informed decisions about their health in response to wildfire smoke and other air pollutants.
  • The initiative is supported by a $100,000 grant from the UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience.
  • 10% of the federal air quality threshold was exceeded in the Pajaro Valley region after the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.
  • Pesticide exposure has been linked to long-lasting health effects in farmworkers.

Sources:

  • University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Watsonville-based climate justice organization Regeneración
  • UC Santa Cruz Center for Coastal Climate Resilience
  • California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool, CalEnviroScreen
  • PurpleAir sensors