Air Quality Resources

• General
• Wildland Fires and Smoke
• Asthma and Your Health
• Air Quality and Climate
• Air Quality and Environmental Justice
• Air, Animals and Plants 

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General

Air Quality Awareness Week 2024 Toolkit — Information on AQAW and how to engage. 

EPA Region 9 is happy to share a downloadable Air Quality Awareness Week Flyer (pdf) (578.9 KB) that serves as a resource for understanding pertinent air quality information and discussing protective action steps with your loved ones and community. The flyers contain information on air quality resources, the Air Quality Index, steps to protect yourself and others from poor air quality, and more! A Spanish version of the flyer, Air Quality Awareness Week Flyer (Spanish) (pdf) (684.4 KB), is also available.

Air Quality Resources for Educators and Students - Visit the AQAW Air Quality Resources for Educators and Students page to engage with air quality resources and information for students and teachers. 

SC DHEC AirNow Postcards (pdf) (202.95 KB) - The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is happy to share their AirNow Postcards. Get the air quality for your area using the Environmental Protection Agency’s AirNow website; a one stop source for air quality data.  

National Atmospheric Deposition Program: Air Quality Awareness Week 2024 — Air Quality Awareness Week will be celebrated May 6-10, 2024. This website focuses on the effects of air pollution on environmental health. Each day features a different theme, with background information, online resources, and sample posts. 

National Park Service: Air Quality Awareness Week — The 18th annual Air Quality Awareness Week takes place May 6-10, 2024. This year's theme is "Knowing Your Air." National parks across the country love clean air and work hard to reduce air pollution both inside parks and beyond park boundaries. Check out this website and get to know your air!

AirKnowledge Elearning BASC106 Course — This course provides content on the health effects of air pollutants, environmental effects of air pollutants, health and environmental effects of criteria pollutants, health and environmental effects of air toxics.

AQI Basics — Learn more about the AQI, what it means, and how to use it. 

EPA Science Matters Newsletter — EPA's Science Matters newsletter delivers the latest from EPA's Office of Research and Development straight to your inbox. Sign up to receive the newsletter.

Our Nation’s Air: Status and Trends Through 2022 — Read EPA’s annual air trends report and be sure to download and share the one-page summary (pdf) (1.55MB). Additional detail on air trends can be found at EPA's AirTrends website. 

Power Sector Programs Progress Report — The Progress Report provides annual updates on EPA's regulatory programs to reduce emissions in the power sector. See the Emissions Reductions section to see reductions in emissions from power plants over time or see the Air Quality chapter to see how these emissions reductions have improved air quality.

EPA Indoor Air Quality — Learn more about indoor air quality and access resources to protect indoor air quality.

Clean Air Status and Trends Network — CASTNET is a national monitoring network established to assess trends in pollutant concentrations, atmospheric deposition, and ecological effects due to changes in air pollutant emissions at close to 100 sites across the country.

EPA Advance Program — Learn about this voluntary, collaborative initiative between EPA, state and local governments, tribes, and other organizations to address ground-level ozone and particle pollution in attainment areas.

Ambient Air Methods and Measurements Development — Explore how EPA researchers work to develop new sampling and analytical methodologies to improve characterization of ambient air quality. 

Characterization and Mitigation of Combustion Sources — Learn about the research EPA is conducting to characterize the physical and chemical properties of air pollutants emitted from combustion sources to provide support for air quality regulation and policy determinations and to understand the effect of combustion emissions on public health and environmental welfare. 

Indoor Air Quality Exposure and Characterization Research — Learn how EPA conducts research on indoor air quality to better understand indoor sources, determine exposures and health risks to common indoor pollutants, and develop prevention and mitigation strategies.

Research on Emissions from U.S. Reservoirs — Read about how EPA scientists are collaborating with researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Department of Energy to measure methane and carbon dioxide emissions from 108 U.S. reservoirs during a four-year survey taking place from 2020 through 2023. 

NASA’s Health & Air Quality Program — NASA’s Health & Air Quality program area provides policymakers with Earth observations to enhance decision-making about public health, with a special focus on environmental health and infectious diseases.

National Park Service Air Quality Web Cameras — Current digital images and air quality information from 20 national parks are part of the National Park Service (NPS) air quality web camera network. Images are updated every 15 minutes. Air quality data, including ozone, particulate matter, visual range, and weather conditions, are updated hourly. Check out the air quality webcam archive to view or download past images.

National Park Service Air Quality Maps — These maps provide a nationwide look at park conditions and trends for air clarity (visibility), ozone, nitrogen deposition, sulfur deposition, and particulate matter. 

National Park Service Air Quality Conditions & Trends — Find and visualize park-specific air quality data, conditions, and trends based on NPS analysis methods. 

Research Funding Opportunities — Funding opportunities currently open or planned can be found below. The list may change periodically and should only be used as a guide to assist potential applicants. Please check back for updates or sign up to receive notifications of new funding opportunities. Research Grants Listserv.

• Air Research Grants

Visit the following resources to find information on vehicles that are more efficient and less polluting. New models of electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and alternative fuel vehicles are entering the market in increasing numbers each year:

• Fuel Economy (MPG) Guide
• Green Vehicle Guide 

Comparison: Your Car vs. an Electric Vehicle — Use this resource to compare your car's emissions to that of an electric vehicle by inputting your vehicle's approximate miles per gallon (MPG) and annual mileage. Results show annual carbon dioxide emissions in metric tons.

SmartWay — EPA's SmartWay program helps companies advance supply chain sustainability by measuring, benchmarking, and improving freight transportation efficiency and sustainability. 

Reducing Diesel Emissions from School Buses — EPA offers funding, as appropriated annually by Congress, for projects that reduce emissions from existing diesel engines. EPA also provides information on strategies for reducing emissions from older school buses. One of the easiest ways to reduce school bus emissions and save money is to reduce idling. Another effective method is to replace the oldest school buses in the fleet.

School Bus Idle Reduction — The Clean School Bus National Idle Reduction Campaign helps you take action toward a cleaner, healthier environment. You are the key to reducing idling!

Recommendations for Constructing Roadside Vegetation Barriers to Improve Near-Road Air Quality — The EPA report summarizes the research findings on the best practices for building roadside vegetative barriers to improve air quality. The fact sheet describes the report and future related research studies.

Research on Near Roadway and Other Near Source Air Pollution — Read various transportation research publications to better understand air pollution from transportation sources and how we can innovate to improve air quality. 

Wildland Fires and Smoke

Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials — Provides information to be prepared for smoke events and when wildfire smoke is present, to communicate health risks and take measures to protect the public.

Fire and Smoke Map — Displays information on smoke from fires, smoke plume locations, and special statements about smoke.

AirNow Fires — Resources and information from AirNow on how to prepare for wildfire smoke events, what to do doing a wildfire smoke event, how wildfire smoke can impact your health and more.

CDC Wildfire Smoke — Information from CDC on how wildfire smoke can impact your health and to protect your health during wildfire smoke events.

EPA Smoke Sense Mobile App — Smoke Sense is a crowdsourcing, participatory science research project developed by EPA researchers focused on increasing public awareness and engagement related to wildfire smoke health risks.

USDA U.S. Forest Service Supporting the Wildland Firefighting Workforce — Learn how USDA is taking action in support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase wildland firefighter pay, to work with federal partners to create a new wildland firefighter occupational series and stand-up programs to support mental health and well-being. Also check out:

• The Forest Service’s 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis in the places where it poses the most immediate threats to communities. The strategy, called “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: A Strategy for Protecting Communities and Improving Resilience in America’s Forests,” (leer en español) combines a historic investment of congressional funding with years of scientific research and planning into a national effort that will dramatically increase the scale and pace of forest health treatments over the next decade.

Asthma and Your Health

Air Quality and Your Health — Information on how air quality impacts your health and what you can do to protect your health.

EPA Asthma — Information and resources from EPA on asthma.

EPA Asthma Awareness Month — Ready-to-use tools and resources for use promoting asthma awareness in your community.

EPA Healthy Indoor Environments in Schools On-Demand Webinars — View the available webinars about best ventilation and cleaning practices, intended to help school staff in responding to concerns in their facilities.

Research on Health Effects, Exposure, & Risk from Mobile Source Pollution - Motor vehicle emissions contribute to ambient levels of air toxics known or suspected as human or animal carcinogens. Exposures to air toxics can also cause noncancerous health effects, such as neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive and/or immune system damage. Explore these resources to understand the health effects, exposure, and risk from mobile source pollution.

Best Practices for Reducing Near-Road Pollution Exposure at Schools — The publication "Best Practices for Reducing Near-Road Pollution Exposure at Schools" helps school communities identify strategies for reducing traffic-related pollution exposure at new and existing schools that are:

• Located downwind from heavily traveled roadways (such as highways).
• Along corridors with significant trucking traffic.
• Near other traffic or vehicular pollution sources.

Human Health & Environmental Impacts of the Power Sector — Fossil fuel-fired power plants remain a leading source of air, water, and land pollution that affects communities nationwide. Learn more about the impacts of this pollution.

CDC Asthma — Information and resources from CDC on asthma, how air quality can impact your health, and how to protect your health.

CDC Air Quality Resources for Professionals — Find a variety of helpful resources about air quality for public health professionals - including research, data, tools for tracking the health impact of air pollution, and more.

Air Quality and Climate

Air, Climate, & Energy Research Webinar Series — EPA's Office of Research and Development hosts this webinar series to share current research activities and results related to air quality; impacts of air pollution and climate change; environmental justice; and responses to impacts of climate change, transformations of the energy and transportation infrastructure, and other emerging risks to our environment from atmospheric pollution. 

CDC Climate and Health: Air Pollution — Information from CDC on the interactions between climate change and air pollution, and their impacts on human health. 

EPA Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X) — EPA’s ARC-X is an interactive resource to help local governments effectively deliver services to their communities even as the climate changes.

Energy Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Governments — EPA’s State and Local Climate and Energy Program offers free tools, data and technical expertise about energy strategies, including energy efficiency, renewable energy and other emerging technologies, to help state, local and tribal governments achieve their environmental, energy and economic objectives. 

NASA Earth Observatory: Atmosphere — The Earth Observatory's mission is to share with the public the images, stories, and discoveries about the environment, Earth systems, and climate that emerge from NASA research, including its satellite missions, in-the-field research, and models.

Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) — Launched on April 7, 2023, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and NASA’s TEMPO satellite mission is to measure North American air pollution from geostationary orbit. The TEMPO instrument is the first ever space-based instrument to monitor air pollutants hourly across the North American continent during daytime. 

Air Quality and Environmental Justice

CDC Environmental Justice Resource Inventory — This inventory includes publicly available environmental justice (EJ) resources developed by various agencies across the United States, within jurisdictions that have programs funded by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Environmental Public Health Tracking Program. Mapping tools include the geographic resolution of the available data in parentheses.

EPA Research: Environmental Justice and Air Pollution — Learn how research at EPA is contributing to a better understanding of the relationship between poor air quality and health disparities and investigating who is most vulnerable. These findings can help to mitigate pollution and assist with developing strategies to reduce the impacts of poor air quality on health.

Environmental Justice and Transportation — Pollution from the transportation sector has been a long-standing obstacle to advancing environmental justice, as many communities of color and low-income families live near areas where pollution from vehicles and engines is abundant, and therefore experience disproportionate exposures to this pollution. Through regulations, interagency partnerships, federal funding, and other actions, EPA seeks to address these inequities as it works to reduce pollution from the transportation sector.

Air, Animals and Plants

National Atmospheric Deposition Program: Air, Animals, and Plants — Air pollution is not just a problem for people. Pollution carried through the air can also affect plants and animals. Explore the NADP website to learn more. 

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service: Air Quality — Maintaining good air quality is important not only for human health but also for the health of natural resources. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service monitors air quality in selected sites to minimize harm from human-caused air pollution to wildlife and sensitive wildlife habitat on national wildlife refuges. These efforts promote biological integrity and diversity and the environmental health of the National Wildlife Refuge System.