AIRNow: Real Time Air QualityAIRNow: Real Time Air Quality

Presented to the Environmental Science Institute for TeachersJuly 14, 2010

Phil Dickerson, US EPA

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution affects everyoneAggravates

– lung disease, including asthma– heart disease, including congestive heart

failureResulting in:

– More premature deaths – More admissions to hospitals– More trips to emergency rooms– More visits to doctors’ offices– More school and work absences– More symptom days

What AIRNow does

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• Coordination• Centralization• Air Quality Index conversion• Education• Distribution

About AIRNow

• Began in 1997• Funded by United States Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA)• Diverse stakeholder community

– Federal, state, provincial, tribal and local air agencies (120+)

– Scientific and health research organizations (15+)– Media and public outreach groups (30+)

• Education and outreach• Substantial growth and data exchange• International activities

1997

2007

120+ State and 120+ State and Local Air Local Air Agencies Agencies

ObservationsObservations

Forecasts Forecasts

AIRNowAIRNowData Data

Management Management CenterCenter

InternetInternet

MediaMediaDecisionDecisionMakers Makers

and and PublicPublic

Data Data

Maps and Maps and Forecasts Forecasts

About AIRNow

• Real-time, hourly maps and data

• Forecasts (300+ cities)• News stories, e.g.

wildfires• Web cams (air quality)• Seasonal air

comparisons

AIRNow Products

Other Media Outlets

National Media

Newspaper

Communication

Data and Forecasts

AIRNow web site

Decision Makers and Public

Cell phone and pagers

Local air agency websites

Local Media

h

www.enviroflash.info

•Real time air quality alerts

•State and local environmental agencies configure their own “look”

•Subscribers can receive full, graphical e-mails or short text messages for mobile devices

•Subscribers manage their own accounts and choose the level at which they are notified

It’s not just a system, it’s a community

• Annual conference• Regional cooperation• Daily interaction with stakeholders• Support during air quality events,

emergencies

AIRNow’s “Human Side”

• Leveraging state, local, and federal resources by collecting and distributing data back to

partners, as well as to media outlets

Goals– International collaboration and knowledge

exchange – Develop AIRNow2.0 - First major release in

10 years• Improve U.S. system by leveraging efforts• Add features to enable international use

– Promote local, national and international data exchange

• Agency to agency and agency to Public

About AIRNow-International

RealtimeDataFiles

Administration

AIRNow

Data

Management

System

(DMS)

AIRNow

Information

ServicesAIRNow

MapperWeb

Services

AIRNow Database

Web Services*

DataFiles*

Maps*Image layers*

Inputs Processing, Quality Assurance, Reporting Outputs

*Outputs will conform to international standards to promote sharing and interoperability

= file

= web service

= module

= data/info transfer

AIRNow International System(Conceptual and Functional Design & Data Flow)

• April 2008: MOU signed between Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) and EPA to begin AIRNow-I pilot project

• January 2009: Beta testing begins• June 2009: OAQPS delegation visits Shanghai

to oversee installation of final hardware and software and conduct training

• May 2010: Public release of air quality information at the Shanghai World Expo

About AIRNow-International

A Short Demo…