Air Quality Monitoring

In the Summer of 2020, I joined the Environmental Law and Policy Center as policy intern on their air quality team. As seen on their About page, the "The Environmental Law & Policy Center is the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy organization. We drive transformational policy changes with national impacts." I learned quite a bit about the impacts of poor air quality on neighborhoods in Chicago.

PM2.5 averages over three months of monitoring in Ravenswood, Chicago compared with readings I found inthe rest of the city. As shown, Ravenswood falls in line with Chicago's averages. It is a majority-white neighborhood with high median household income.

Ravenswood data taken from https://airqualitychicago.org

Chicago data taken from AirVisual App.

Air Quality

I was part of ELPC's Air Quality Monitoring Program that monitors for PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) readings in the city of Chicago. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 results in multiple health risks such as aggravated asthma and nonfatal heart attacks.

Team members walk preset routes with handheld air monitors five days a week to assess concentrations of PM2.5 and changes due to weather, construction, or other conditions.

Our findings over the summer confirmed what was largely suspected: neighborhoods with residents that have lower socioeconomic status, such as Humboldt Park, have worse air quality than neighborhoods like Ravenswood that have higher socioeconomic status. The largest contributors of PM2.5 matter were fast food and car repair stores.

My Tasks

In addition to walking my monitor routes, I was tasked with the finding a phone application that would meet the needs of the team. I was then asked to create walking routes in QGIS to be uploaded to our chosen application, Fulcrum, on team members' phones. The walking routes needed to:

  • Pass as many schools and facilities with registered air permits in the area as possible

  • Cover as many of these schools and facilities as possible in five routes

  • Last only 2 - 2.5 miles round trip

  • Be safe and accessible to someone traveling on foot

I created routes for five team members, including myself. One of the routes was in Evanston, which required a bit more work as the data for that suburb is not as extensive as it is for Chicago.

Jackson Park Yacht Club Maps

ELPC also partners with community organizations to monitor air quality. In late Summer 2020, the Jackson Park Yacht Club (JPYC) agreed to have its members walk around their club area carrying air monitors.

The JPYC did not use the Fulcrum App, so I created routes for their organization in QGIS and uploaded those routes to Google Maps for their use. You can see an example of one of the six routes they used to the right.

Flowers

While most people think of cities as concrete jungles, greenery abounds during Chicago's spring and summer months. While on my walks, I took a little time to enjoy the scenery and take a few pictures of my favorite flowering areas.