The Housing Authority of the City of Elizabeth (HACE), Rutgers University–New Brunswick, and the environmental nonprofit Groundwork Elizabeth recently unveiled the BREATHE Dashboard, an online resource that gives city residents community-level information about air quality and environmental conditions.
The launch caps three years of research supported by a $500,000 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant. Residents can use the BREATHE Dashboard to check air quality and heat conditions when planning their daily activities.
The portal provides specific data on outdoor pollutant levels for fine particle particulate matter and ozone, as well as heat, humidity and wind conditions. On Friday, it advised that outdoor air quality was “good” and there was no need to wear masks outdoors or run indoor air purifiers. Residents were urged to “open your windows to bring clean and fresh air.”
The dashboard uses data collected from air quality sensors that were installed across multiple HACE properties during the study. It helps residents understand the conditions around them, what the data means, and how to adapt when conditions change. The dashboard displays data from 12 outdoor monitors across the City of Elizabeth and one monitor located at the Elizabeth trailer, which served as the study’s co-location site.
“The purpose of this study was first and foremost to better understand and manage indoor air quality. By installing monitors in buildings throughout the City of Elizabeth, we were able to establish a clear baseline of air quality and identify what steps can be taken moving forward to protect residents and improve conditions,” said William Jones, executive director of HACE.
The research found that conditions vary across Elizabeth and among different groups of residents. Youth experienced greater exposure to heat, while seniors experienced higher levels of air pollution. The technology also provided a new way to understand the air quality inside their homes.
Outdoor pollution levels were consistent with official monitoring stations, but indoor air quality varied considerably between residences, and some apartments had elevated pollution levels. Researchers also demonstrated that air cleaners, including DIY models, can effectively reduce indoor pollution.
“We discovered that understanding indoor environments is just as critical as monitoring the outdoors. Fortunately, both the city and its residents can take action. Indoors, residents can improve air quality by choosing not to smoke. Outdoors, planting trees expands shade, while the city can enforce landlord-tenant laws to ensure apartments remain safe and livable even during the hottest summer days,” said Clint Andrews, professor at Rutgers University.
At the municipal level, the study partners recommend considering stronger enforcement of truck restrictions on local routes, more street trees and bus shelters, and a review of landlord-tenant requirements for safe and habitable housing. At the state level, they recommend supporting the expansion of community-based sensor networks to additional communities.
Rutgers and Groundwork Elizabeth will continue to analyze the data, provide technical support for the sensor network, and maintain the BREATHE web portal.
The BREATHE Dashboard and local environmental data can be found at civic-aq.rutgers.edu.