Air quality doesn’t get enough attention in Las Vegas. This is evident by companies such as PurpleAir, which provides air quality data for organizations like Google, Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA. According to PurpleAir, Reno, another city in Nevada, has far more air quality monitors than Las Vegas. That’s why you should take the initiative to measure air quality yourself (link to borrow one is towards the end). As a constantly industrializing and booming city, Las Vegas lacks essential air quality monitoring that could potentially assist in making Las Vegas more eco-friendly. Air quality monitoring could pinpoint areas with poor air quality which encourages the people and the city to take action in making the place healthier.
Why should you monitor air quality yourself, when there are corporations like Google that already measure it for you? That’s because air quality is a sensitive issue. The air quality data that you see on your phone comes from the nearest monitoring station. This isn’t an accurate depiction of the air quality you are surrounded by, and the air you breathe in, because air quality is specific to the location you are in and can vary significantly block by block. For example, data from Google might tell you that the PM2.5 concentration is 13 from a station located 4 miles away, but you, living next to a construction site, might experience worse air quality than indicated by Google because of the dust and diesel emission produced at the construction site.
Measuring the air quality at your home has several benefits. First, it keeps you informed about your immediate air quality. Indoor air quality is something people overlook as ventilation systems keep bringing clean air from outside. However, in cases of the ventilation systems not being cleaned properly, indoor air quality drastically worsens, building up pollutants such as VOCs, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide. With an air quality monitor at your home, you could be alerted when your air quality worsens, and find the cause of this problem earlier and fix it. In addition, an air quality monitor could help you decide when to open your windows for ventilation, or use an air purifier, as doing so can bring fresh air indoors.
Air quality is an issue that you should be alert about because the air that you breathe in is the same air that contains nasty particles as it enters your lungs. Las Vegas is like a nicotine addict when it comes to air pollution, and you should be the one to take initiative to measure air quality because it’s your health, home, and future that is being affected. If you are interested in renting an air quality monitor, fill out this form created by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Urban Air Quality Lab.
References:
Considine, Ellen M, et al. “Investigating Use of Low-Cost Sensors to Increase Accuracy and Equity of Real-Time Air Quality Information.” Environmental Science & Technology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 9 Jan. 2023, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10329730/
Marques, Gonçalo, et al. “Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Systems for Enhanced Living Environments: A Review toward Sustainable Smart Cities.” MDPI, Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 14 May 2020, www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/10/4024
“Purpleair Data Use Cases.” PurpleAir, www2.purpleair.com/pages/purpleair-data-use-cases?srsltid=AfmBOoofFZ-_7iyhydWosthEiHrj_kE_JPR2eIIcN-O-PxwxU8vLgbzx
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