A UCLA-led research team has completed installation of 20 air quality monitoring stations across western Los Angeles County to help residents track air safety as communities recover from January's devastating wildfires.
The Community Action Project AIR network provides real-time data spanning from Topanga State Park through Pacific Palisades to Brentwood and south toward Santa Monica. The monitoring system updates every 5-10 minutes through an online dashboard showing color-coded air quality conditions.
"The fires released a complex mix of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds from burned structures, vehicles, and household products, and these emissions can persist for weeks to months," said Dr. Yifang Zhu, a UCLA Fielding School of Public Health air quality expert leading the effort.
January's fires in Los Angeles County claimed at least 29 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 structures, according to county officials. The blazes struck both the Pacific Palisades-Malibu area and Altadena-Pasadena communities.
Cleanup activities including debris removal and demolition can stir up dust and contaminants, creating prolonged exposure risks for returning residents and construction workers, Zhu said. The monitoring network aims to identify pollution hotspots and inform public health responses.
The sensors track multiple particle sizes, from PM10 particles about the width of cotton fiber to PM2.5 particles 30 times smaller than human hair. While existing networks monitor PM2.5, Zhu said there's a gap in PM10 monitoring.
"Those coarse particles can contribute to a range of health problems, particularly affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular systems - especially after wildfires, when debris removal and reconstruction stir up dust," Zhu said.
The R&S Kayne Foundation and Los Angeles-based Danhakl Family Foundation jointly funded the western Los Angeles monitoring project. A similar effort is underway in the Altadena-Pasadena area.
"As both a mother and a physician living in the Palisades, I believe Dr. Zhu's air quality research is essential for all residents," said Dr. Victoria Danhakl, trustee of the Danhakl Family Foundation. "Air sensors are tools that give us real-time data to protect our kids, our patients, and our community."
The dashboard provides easily understood updates with color-coded icons ranging from good (green) to hazardous (dark red) air quality conditions.
Edited by SMDP Staff