Air Monitoring
How the City of Detroit monitors air quality
The city has installed 5 air quality monitors located at the Detroit Police Department Sixth Precinct, Detroit Police Department Sixth Precinct, Detroit Police Department Harbormaster Unit, Chandler Park Service Yard and Joseph Walker Williams Recreation Center. These locations were chosen to best serve our communities and work with EGLE’s current monitors, creating a network of Air Quality Monitors for the city.
Meet the Monitors
Teledyne API T 640x
This is a real-time, continuous particulate matter (PM) mass monitor that measures PM 2.5, 10, and coarse PM in the air at 1-min intervals.
This is a certified federal reference method (FRM) monitor. FRM monitors are highly accurate and approved by the EPA to monitor compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The data obtained from FRMs are held to rigorous quality assurance standards.
TSP Sampler
A Total suspended particulate (TSP) sampler is used for the collection of particulate matter in ambient air with no preference to size selection. Air is passed through a filter which is then analyzed for specific materials.
Clarity Monitor - Solar Powered-Real time Portable Monitor
These monitors will be placed in areas where the city needs more information on the air quality. It can pinpoint hot spots.
National Air Quality Standards
The Clean Air Act (CAA) plays a critical role in regulating air quality. The Act’s key component is the establishment of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)designed to protect public health and the environment from harmful effects of air pollution. The EPA sets NAAQS for six major pollutants often referred to as “criteria pollutants”. Primary standards are designed to protect public health, including the health of sensitive populations such as children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions like asthma.
Secondary standards are aimed at protecting public welfare. This includes safeguarding the environment, preventing damage to vegetation, wildlife and buildings, and reducing issues like decreased visibility caused by air pollution.
Pollutant | Primary / | Averaging | Level | Form | Attainment / | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carbon Monoxide | primary | 8 Hours | 9 pmm | Not to be exceeded | X | |
Lead (Pb) | primary | Rolling | 0.15 mg/m 3 | Not to be exceeded | X | |
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) | primary | 1 Hours | 100 ppb | 98th percentile | X | |
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) | primary and secondary | 1 year | 53 ppb | Annual Mean | X | |
Ozone (03) | primary and secondary | 8 hours | 0.070 ppm | Annual Fourth-highest | X | |
Particle Pollution (PM) PM25 | primary | 1 year | 9.0 pg/m3 | Annual mean averaged | X | |
Particle Pollution (PM) PM25 | secondary | 1 Year | 15.0 mg/m3 | Annual mean, averaged | X | |
Particle Pollution (PM) PM25 | primary and secondary | 24 hours | 35 mg/m3 | 98th percentile, | X | |
Particle Pollution (PM) PM10 | primary and secondary | 24 Hours | 150 mg/m3m | Not exceeded more | X | |
Sulfur Dioxide (SO3) | primary | 1 Hours | 75 ppb | Annual Fourth-highest | nonattainment | |
Sulfur Dioxide (SO3) | primary | 1 Hours | 0.5 ppm | Not to be | nonattainment | |
1 Units of measure for the standards are parts per million (ppm) by volume, parts per billion (ppb) by volume, and micrograms per cubic meter of air (μg/m3)
Criteria Air Pollutants
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can be harmful when inhaled in large amounts. CO is released when something is burned. The greatest source of CO to outdoor air is vehicles.
Lead (Pb)
Major sources of lead in the air are ore and metals processing and aircraft using leaded aviation fuel. Other sources of lead are waste incinerators, utilities, and lead-acid battery manufacturers. The highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
NO2 primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel. NO2 forms from emissions from cars, trucks and buses, power plants, and off-road equipment.
Ozone (O3)
Ozone is not emitted directly into the air; it is created when certain pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react with sunlight.
Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5 = inhalable particles)
PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution) it is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.
Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health problems. Some particles less than 10 micrometers in diameter can get deep into your lungs and some may even get into your bloodstream.
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
The largest source of SO2 in the air is the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities. Smaller sources of SO2 emissions include industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore; coal burning locomotives, ships and heavy equipment that burn fuel with a high sulfur content.