Philadelphia Introduces Solar-Powered Air Quality Sensors

A new air quality monitoring system will give Philadelphia residents opportunities to track air pollution in their neighborhoods.

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Mayor Cherelle Parker and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health unveiled the “Breathe Philly” network. This citywide network of 76 ground-level, solar-powered, weatherproof air quality sensors is connected via cellular networks to provide real-time air quality data. These sensors stream hourly readings to a public dashboard on the Breathe Philly website, with color-coded maps that indicate air quality levels and guide resident decisions on outdoor activity.

According to an NBC10 Philadelphia report, the air quality monitors are within 1.5 miles of every Philadelphia resident, allowing them to access the data from the sensor closest to their location on the Breathe Philly dashboard.

The sensors are designed to assess fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), two common air pollutants. Some of the sensors will also measure ozone (O3) as soon as spring arrives.

Philadelphia officials said the project advances public health goals by reducing pollution-related health impacts and providing a framework for emergency response and policy planning.

City Councilmember Nina Ahmad noted that Philadelphia is the first city to install and activate the Clarity Node sensor technology that runs the air quality monitors. The monitors are designed to collect data to analyze the effects of air quality on people with asthma, emergency room visits, missed school days, and other negative health burdens, Ahmad said.

"We always have to look at the outcomes," she said in a statement shared with CBS Philadelphia, "especially in neighborhoods that have carried the greatest environmental health burdens for far too long."