About Air CURRENTS
About Air CURRENTS | Program Goals | The ACCESS™ EMS | Funding
The Air CURRENTS Project: Active Learning About Air and Air Pollution
Air CURRENTS is a curriculum designed for middle and high school math science and social studies classes to educate students about air, air pollution and air monitoring techniques. "CURRENTS" stands for Collaboration of Urban, Rural and Regional Environmental Networks of Teachers and Students.
The project is managed by NESCAUM, the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management, an interstate association of air quality control divisions in the Northeast states. NESCAUM coordinates with local project partners in Brooklyn and Buffalo, NY and Camden and Newark, NJ.
For this project, the curriculum includes the use of a portable air quality monitor, ACCESS (A Computerized Community-based Environmental Sampling System), developed by PAX Analytics. Teachers and students, in collaboration with community groups, will use the ACCESS system to do air monitoring studies in their schools and communities. The curriculum can be taught with or without employing the ACCESS air monitor.
The 1999 - 2000 Air CURRENTS Project is funded by a $236,600 grant through EPA's EMPACT program (Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking) to the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM). The project is taking place in Newark and Camden, NJ and Brooklyn and Buffalo, NY and runs from July, 1999 through July, 2000.
Program Goals: Teachers and Students Monitoring Local Air Quality
The goal of the Air CURRENTS project is to provide the tools and knowledge necessary for students, teachers and community-based groups to obtain a general assessment of the air quality in their neighborhoods.
Additional goals of the Air CURRENTS program are to:
The project will also strengthen and develop partnerships between local schools and community groups through air quality monitoring and sharing of information. The information sharing, which is anticipated to be largely through this web site will help to build an environmentally-aware and responsible local citizenry. In addition to electronic posting of the air monitoring data on a web site, students and teachers will also present their monitoring results at local, state and regional meetings.
ACCESS™: A Portable, "Plug and Play" Environmental Monitoring System
ACCESS can be used for indoor and outdoor monitoring. It measures the following parameters:
The sensors for all the parameters are built into the ACCESS monitor, which is a single, portable, air monitoring system. The ACCESS system is a continuous, real-time monitor. Samples are not collected, preserved or sent to the laboratory for analysis.
Data can be collected, tabulated and analyzed on site.
NOTE: The data collected by the ACCESS air monitoring system provides a good general indication of the quality of the air but does not collect data compliant with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements. Information on EPA/Federal standards is provided with the ACCESS software for reference. (See www.epa.gov)
All of the gas sensors, with the exception of the CO2 sensor, are electrochemical sensors. The CO2 sensor is based on infrared technology. The particulate sensor uses optical technology. The temperature sensor is a Type K thermocouple and the relative humidity sensor uses capacitative technology. The wind speed sensor uses a Hall effect sensor that generates a frequency directly proportional to speed. The wind direction sensor uses a potentiometer to determine direction. All of the sensors are collected to a specialized computer known as a datalogger, which queries the sensors for their current readings every six seconds. The data is averaged over each minute and stored with a date and time stamp for eventual upload to a computer for analysis. For more information on how the sensors work, visit the technical specifications page at PAX Analtyics.
Monitors will be used at multiple locations in each of the four cities. Exact monitoring locations will be determined by the local teachers, students and community groups involved. The ACCESS system can collect data over a period of hours or days, depending on user requirements. The monitoring system saves data every minute. The data can then be averaged over different periods, (e.g. by the hour, in several hour intervals, day) as specified by the user.
The ACCESS system has its own unique software containing EPA and other regulatory limits which enable users to prepare graphics and analytical reports comparing the data they collected with established standards. These standards provide a context for users to understand their local air quality.
If you have questions about the ACCESS system, please contact Pax Analytics by phone at 413-624-5557 or on the web at www.paxana.com or by email.
Data Collection: Emphasis on Proper Sampling
After the ACCESS system has been powered on for at least eight hours, data is collected by placing the device in the selected location, zeroing the sensors and then initiating the datalogging process.
To help teachers and students collect air quality data in a correct and consistent manner, they are trained on developing an air sampling plan. Guidance is available on how to develop these plans. This guidance includes:
The 1999 - 2000 Air CURRENTS Project is funded by a $236,600 grant through EPA's EMPACT program (Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking) to the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management (NESCAUM). The project is taking place in Newark and Camden, NJ and Brooklyn and Buffalo, NY and runs from July, 1999 through July, 2000.
The original funding for the development of the Air CURRENTS curriculum came from grants awarded by the Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust, the John Merck Fund, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The development effort was a collaboration of state agencies, universities, community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and educators committed to having students at all levels of education engaged in a balanced, active, and multidisciplinary approach to the issues of air pollution and its effect on our quality of life.
Partners who developed the original Air CURRENTS curriculum included:
Teachers may copy selected pages for student use. Published by NESCAUM, 129 Portland Street, Boston, MA 02114.