Did you know? Air quality in Carbon County is currently monitored by the 10 permanent PurpleAir Monitors purchased and installed by Save Carbon County. The PurpleAir Monitors provide real-time reporting online. The PurpleAir monitors measure particle pollution (PM2.5) and provides alerts when level exceed federal limits. Components of the PM2.5 are not detailed by the PurpleAir monitors, leaving unanswered questions. While some components of PM2.5, like certain sulfate particles, might be considered relatively less toxic compared to others, generally speaking, there are no truly "non-toxic" particles within PM2.5 as even seemingly harmless components can still have negative health effects when inhaled due to their small size and ability to reach deep into the lungs; therefore, exposure to any level of PM2.5 is considered potentially harmful to health. PM2.5 is a mixture of tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the air, often originating from various sources like construction, vehicle exhaust, and burning fuels. Particle pollution is a broader category encompassing many different types of particles of airborne pollutants. In contrast, specific gases like benzene pollution refer explicitly to the presence of the chemical benzene in the air, primarily from gasoline and industrial processes, and is considered a known carcinogen; benzene pollution is a specific pollutant within PM2. To understand the composition of the particle pollution, the AeroQual Series 500 portable monitor will be used to take real-time air readings to establish accuracy to within +/- 3 ppb of the federal reference monitors.
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