According to an MSN article by Matt Reed, Boston is partnering with Northeastern University researchers to deploy a mobile lab that measures air pollution with block-by-block precision. The goal: to map air pollution and traffic emissions from the Massachusetts Turnpike in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood. The map color codes pollution pockets so communities can identify hot spots.
The mobile pollution van detects 32 parts per billion of ozone—up to 70 parts per billion on heavily pollution days.
An excerpt from the report:
“The city has awarded $1.1 million in Community Clean Air Grants to six nonprofits across Boston. The Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative, partnering with Northeastern, will use the grant to install about 30 sensors inside and outside homes in Allston-Brighton and conduct a second phase of testing to measure the impact of installing air purifiers.
‘Knowing that you can actually do things within your own home to improve the quality of your air, we also know that air quality really does health impacts,‘ said Anna Leslie, director of the Allston-Brighton Health Collaborative.
All projects funded by the grants have different focuses but share the goal of making Boston and its residents healthier.”
Read the report.