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AIRNow: Real Time Air Quality. Presented to the Environmental Science Institute for Teachers July 14, 2010 Phil Dickerson, US EPA. Health Effects of Air Pollution. Air pollution affects everyone Aggravates lung disease, including asthma heart disease, including congestive heart failure
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AIRNow: Real Time Air Quality Presented to the Environmental Science Institute for Teachers July 14, 2010 Phil Dickerson, US EPA
Health Effects of Air Pollution • Air pollution affects everyone • Aggravates • lung disease, including asthma • heart disease, including congestive heart failure • Resulting in: • More premature deaths • More admissions to hospitals • More trips to emergency rooms • More visits to doctors’ offices • More school and work absences • More symptom days
About AIRNow What AIRNow does • Coordination • Centralization • Air Quality Index conversion • Education • Distribution Air Quality Data 45 62 215 55 125 485 Air Quality Forecasts
Observations Media Data AIRNow Data Management Center Decision Makers and Public 120+ State and Local Air Agencies Internet Maps and Forecasts Forecasts About AIRNow • Began in 1997 • Funded by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) • Diverse stakeholder community • Federal, state, provincial, tribal and local air agencies (120+) • Scientific and health research organizations (15+) • Media and public outreach groups (30+) • Education and outreach • Substantial growth and data exchange • International activities 1997 2007
AIRNow Products • Real-time, hourly maps and data • Forecasts (300+ cities) • News stories, e.g. wildfires • Web cams (air quality) • Seasonal air comparisons
AIRNow web site National Media Local air agency websites Cell phone and pagers Newspaper Decision Makers and Public Other Media Outlets Local Media Communication h Data and Forecasts
www.enviroflash.info • Real time air quality alerts • State and local environmental agencies configure their own “look” • Subscribers can receive full, graphical e-mails or short text messages for mobile devices • Subscribers manage their own accounts and choose the level at which they are notified
AIRNow’s “Human Side” It’s not just a system, it’s a community • Annual conference • Regional cooperation • Daily interaction with stakeholders • Support during air quality events, emergencies • Leveraging state, local, and federal resources by collecting and distributing data back to partners, as well as to media outlets
About AIRNow-International Goals • International collaboration and knowledge exchange • Develop AIRNow2.0 - First major release in 10 years • Improve U.S. system by leveraging efforts • Add features to enable international use • Promote local, national and international data exchange • Agency to agency and agency to Public
Inputs Processing, Quality Assurance, Reporting Outputs Realtime Data Files Data Files* Administration AIRNow Information Services AIRNow Data Management System (DMS) AIRNow Mapper Web Services* Web Services Maps* Image layers* AIRNow Database *Outputs will conform to international standards to promote sharing and interoperability = file = web service = module = data/info transfer AIRNow International System(Conceptual and Functional Design & Data Flow)
About AIRNow-International • April 2008: MOU signed between Shanghai Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) and EPA to begin AIRNow-I pilot project • January 2009: Beta testing begins • June 2009: OAQPS delegation visits Shanghai to oversee installation of final hardware and software and conduct training • May 2010: Public release of air quality information at the Shanghai World Expo