Air quality: We installed a citizen monitoring network in Mejillones

Mejillones, northern Chile. Image by Conrado Muñoz (ACmm)

Airflux installed the first citizen monitoring network in Mejillones.

This system will allow for the measurement of air quality in the urban sector of Mejillones, providing permanent environmental information to the community. In this way, people will be able to know and monitor the levels of exposure at different times and sectors of the city.

The objective behind the installation of this advanced monitoring network, driven by the Despierta Mejillones Foundation, is to democratize access to environmental information and to identify early situations of risk to people's health.

With this network, neighbors, social organizations, and authorities in the area will be informed and able to take timely actions to safeguard people's health and protect the environment.

Another advantage of this system is that, unlike the existing monitoring stations in Mejillones, which are located near emission points due to environmental regulations, this system will be located in the urban sector of the commune. This means that it will be possible to know much more precisely the levels of particulate matter and monitor the evolution of air quality in real-time, which allows for timely decision-making to protect the population's health.

The network is composed of four measurement points, through which it will be possible to determine the areas and periods of the day with the greatest impact and risk to people. In this way, the information generated will be an input for the development of public policies and for the execution of specific actions in a focused manner. Along with this, it will allow for the definition of a baseline exposure in the commune and monitor the decontamination measures in the area.

Figure: Sensor installed in Mejillones Bay

Translation by ChatGPT Mar 23 Version.