EPA Region 3 Sensor Loan Program
Description: EPA’s Region 3 office, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has portable air quality sensors available for loan to the public. This program is designed to assist community groups, educators, state agencies, local agencies, and tribes with conducting their own small-scale localized air monitoring projects. The purpose of this program is to increase accessibility to affordable and user-friendly air quality sensor equipment to inform communities about local air quality and to screen for possible impacts. These sensors are not Federal Equivalent Methods (FEMs) or Federal Reference Methods (FRMs), and the data from these sensors are not applicable to regulatory decision making for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
Equipment Available for Loan:
- PurpleAir PA-SD-II: stationary sensor that measures particulate matter (PM), temperature, humidity, and pressure; for outdoor and indoor use; plug-in powered
PurpleAir Website
- Cairsens: stationary sensor that measures nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), or non-methane volatile organic compounds (nmVOC); for outdoor and indoor use; battery powered
Cairsens Sensor Website
Eligibility: State agencies, local agencies, tribes, community groups, schools, and other interested organizations in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia. EPA highly encourages project collaboration and partnerships between agencies, community groups, and academics.
Training: EPA Region 3 currently does not offer assistance for the equipment use, project development and management, or data analysis. EPA Region 3 does provide links to virtual training from external sources. The EPA Air Sensor Toolbox website for resources can be found at https://www.epa.gov/air-sensor-toolbox.
Information for Shipping of Equipment: Sensors can be shipped to any location within Region 3 at loanee’s expense or picked up at the Region 3 office in Philadelphia. EPA will coordinate with loanees on a situational basis for shipment logistics. If shipment costs or pick-up is prohibitive, please reach out to an EPA Region 3 Sensor Loan Contact to discuss other possible options.
Application Submittal: EPA Region 3 prefers to receive applications through the website, but applications may also be emailed to the Sensor Loan Contacts or mailed to the office.
| EPA | Loanee |
|---|---|
| Review application | Submit application |
| Provide working air quality sensors | Create and implement project plan |
| Provide verbal and written guidance on air quality sensor siting and operation | Operate and maintain air quality sensors for duration of project |
| Review all project data | |
| Provide post-project summary |
Sensor Loan Contacts:
|
Alice Chow, Chief Air Quality Analysis Branch 215-814-2144 |
Loretta Hyden Air Monitoring Specialist 215-814-2113 |
Meighan Long Air Monitoring Specialist 215-814-2140 |
EPA Region 3 Air Sensor Loan Application
EPA Region 3 Air Sensor License Agreement (pdf)
Address: EPA Region 3 Air and Radiation Division, Four Penn Center, 1600 JFK Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19103