Navigating the Complexity of Current Air Quality in LA: As Los Angeles residents struggle to determine trustworthy air quality data, researchers and experts weigh in on the accuracy of government monitoring stations versus private sensors.
The Complexity of Determining Air Quality in Los Angeles
Calculating air pollution from wildfires and other events has become increasingly complicated. However, this complexity does not necessarily translate to greater accuracy.
Air Quality Data: A Web of Confusion
Residents of Los Angeles are currently faced with a daunting task: determining which air quality data provider to trust. The US government‘s data sometimes contradicts that reported by Apple’s Weather app, the wildfire tracking app Watch Duty, and other tools. This discrepancy arises from different formulas used to transform raw readings into digestible estimates of air toxicity.
Government Monitoring Stations vs. Private Sensors
Two environmental researchers recommend following the data from government monitoring stations. These stations operate across the country, with roughly one per every 300,000 people in the US. Los Angeles has a handful of them, and their data is tracked and published on an hourly basis by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA runs calculations on these readings to determine the air quality index (AQI), which can represent current conditions and averages over the next 24 hours.
PurpleAir Sensors: A Popular Alternative
Another popular set of readings come from sensors developed by the Utah company PurpleAir. These sensors are less powerful and accurate than government gear but more affordable, allowing anyone to buy one and install it wherever they wish. They report data every two minutes, and Los Angeles has at least hundreds of them.
The Role of Private Companies in Air Quality Data
Companies such as BreezoMeter and Ambee have emerged in recent years, generating air quality metrics using a variety of calculations and processing different types of data. These companies aim to provide “hyperlocal” estimates by incorporating data from multiple sources, including satellites and weather reports.
The Challenge of Trusting Air Quality Data
Researchers and experts express varying levels of trust in these systems. While some argue that private sensors can be accurate about 90 percent of the time in determining advisory levels, others caution against relying solely on these readings. Jennifer Richmond-Bryant, an associate professor of forestry and environmental resources at North Carolina State University, suggests trusting the highest number or color level among different services.
The Importance of Air Quality Data Beyond Los Angeles
In countries with insufficient government monitoring, startups are filling an important void. BreezoMeter and Ambee offer data on more than 40 and over 100 countries, respectively, making their services attractive to global companies that want to incorporate air data into apps, product testing, or marketing campaigns.
Conclusion
Determining air quality in Los Angeles is a complex task, with multiple providers offering varying levels of accuracy. While some experts recommend following government monitoring stations, others caution against relying solely on private sensors. As demand for air quality data blooms, researchers are racing to improve the output of low-cost sensors and advocating for the installation of different kinds of monitoring gear.
