Ligonier air monitors provide real

Mar 19, 2024

Residents in the valley might be breathing easy now, but not long ago, smoke and particulate matter from Canadian wildfires made it difficult for many to head outside.

Those wildfires made it easy for anyone to step outside and see that the air was not at its best. But not all days are as easy to tell as those earlier this summer. On days when the air quality levels require proper sensors for an accurate reading, residents can hop online and get real-time data for the immediate area.

The 13 sensors are spread between Wilpen and Donegal and are monitored by the Environmental Health Project (EHP).

The EHP is a nonprofit public health organization that assists residents who believe they may have been affected by oil and gas development. The project was started in partnership with the Citizens to Preserve Ligonier Valley (CPLV).

Both the EHP and CPLV have monitored the sensors since 2021. The project’s initial term was for three years of monitoring.

“Ligonier Valley is one of the cleanest areas we cover,” said Nathan Deron, a program manager at EHP.

The EHP has seven current projects in Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. Past projects have covered as close as Allegheny County and as far away as California.

Deron said the data the EHP collects will not only help discover potential future problems but help scientists understand the factors that affect air quality on a daily basis.

“The strength of covering data over a long time is we can document changes over a season, week to week, day and night,” Deron said.

The sensors, which can be viewed at purpleair.com, measure two distinct properties in the air.

Particulate matter (PM) consists of solids and liquids in the air. These are typically common across a region.

The sensors also measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can easily react in the air, turning into different compounds.

The EHP’s latest yearly report found that levels for both PMs and VOCs were relatively low, with short-term spikes throughout the year, Deron said.

“That doesn’t mean there is no health impact,” Deron said.

Those short-term spikes, especially like what was seen in late June due to the wildfires, can have serious effects on children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions like asthma.

Around June 29, the Ligonier Valley saw its largest peak in PMs.

“It was one of the few times we saw the whole monitor network move together moderately,” Deron said.

Air quality is measured in the United States using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI).

Past spikes have reached an average score of 90, enough to affect the most vulnerable if exposed throughout an entire day.

But June 29 was one of the worst for the valley. Sensors reached as high as 202 on the AQI, the index’s second-highest level.

According to the EPA’s AQI, the air outside was so bad it could cause significant aggravation of heart and lung disease or even death in those with cardiopulmonary disease.

But it wasn’t just those with health conditions who were feeling the effects. The air quality levels were so high that even the general population saw significant increases in respiratory issues, according to the EPA.

With the effects of the Canadian wildfires subsiding, air quality has returned back to normal, with the readings Monday in the 70s on the AQI. Typically, most of the particulate matter comes from intermittent traffic and residential wood burning.

While still keeping one eye on the wildfires in Canada, the EHP is also watching areas like West Virginia for any industrial development that the southwestern winds may bring into the Valley.

The EHP will continue to monitor and analyze the data from the sensors for another year. Even with just three years of data, the information will help residents understand the impact of industry around the Valley as well as the long-term impact on mortality and quality of life.

“People need to be aware of what’s going on in the air, especially if they live in an area with no EPA monitors,” Deron said.

Joe Wells can be reached at [email protected] or 724-537-3351 Ext. 30.

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