EPA New England Regional Laboratory (Office of Environmental Measurement and Evaluation)

Ambient Air Monitoring

The EPA NE Air Monitoring Team works with the states and tribes to implement national, regional and state air monitoring programs. The Team also works on special projects and conducts research on priority regional issues such as mercury.

Collocated PM 2.5 Samplers

The Air Monitoring Team responsibilities include:

• Overseeing the operation of more than 300 ambient (outdoor) air monitors in New England for the six priority air pollutants (ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and lead); data from these sites are used to ensure compliance with health-based National Ambient Air Quality Standards and to assist in the development of air pollution control programs

• Overseeing the operation of fourteen New England real-time monitoring stations for ozone and chemicals that form ozone (ozone precursors)

• Providing air toxics monitoring support.

• Working with the New England states and tribes to deploy ambient air monitors to measure hazardous air pollutants (HAPS) and fine particulates (PM_2.5)

• Ensuring that air monitoring data are entered into the EPA’s national database called the Aerometric Information and Retrieval System (AIRS). Air quality data from any air monitoring site in New England (or in the nation) are available at http://www.epa.gov/aqspubl1/select.html

• Publishing an Annual Report on Air Quality in New England which summarizes the New England air quality data

• Conducting ambient and indoor air monitoring studies

• Conducting air studies at hazardous waste and Superfund sites

• Providing technical services to customers and partners