BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Seventeen air quality monitors have been so far installed throughout the Lehigh Valley as part of a $100,000 air monitoring project.
However, only 15 appear on the Shiny App.
“Currently, we have two monitors that are collecting data via SD cards,” according to the November project update, posted online. “One is located in Lower Mt. Bethel Township in northeastern Northampton County, and the other is at Leaser Lake in northwestern Lehigh County.”
This is the third monthly update for Lehigh Valley Breathes, a Valley-wide effort to monitor air quality amid emissions from trucking and warehousing. As part of the effort, 40 PurpleAir monitors are slated to be installed. During an Aug. 2 news conference announcing the effort, officials said poor air quality is driving residents away, and the monitoring project will give leaders data to improve the air and combat further issues.
Residents are scheduled to receive monthly updates on the year-long project, officials said.
There are only two requirements for the air monitors, officials said in the November update — an electrical outlet and access to a WiFi network.
However, it’s often not possible to find a WiFi network in a prime location, especially one that serves as a rural source of baseline data,.Lehigh Valley Breathes, November update
The 15 monitors showing on the Shiny App are all connected to a WiFi network, which constantly feeds data.
“However, it’s often not possible to find a WiFi network in a prime location, especially one that serves as a rural source of baseline data,” officials said. “Those monitors have to collect their data on SD memory cards inside the monitor.
“That data then needs to be downloaded on a regular schedule by someone visiting the site and transferring the data to the database that we are maintaining for research.”
With less than half of the proposed number of monitors installed so far, officials are planning a “monitor installation blitz” in January.
“We’ll begin contacting the owners of site locations in early December to set up a convenient time for installation after the holidays are over,” officials said.
The update did not include any preliminary findings, with officials noting that a final report will take more than a year.
“We’re as eager as you to see what we’re discovering,” officials said in the update. “While it will be more than a year before we have a final report, we expect to have some interim findings that may be of interest.
“We’ve already identified one interesting finding and may have another by the end of December. If we feel reasonably confident in their validity, we’ll share them at that time.”
For more information, visit the Lehigh County or Northampton County website for Lehigh Valley Breathes.
