Las Vegas Air Quality Monitoring | UAQL UNLV

Spearheaded by Dr. Antony Chen of the UNLV Public Health Department, the Urban Air Quality Lab(UAQL) is a leading group at the University teaching and researching indoor and outdoor air quality. The UAQL is dedicated to protecting clean air resources for local and global communities. They also monitor for air pollutants in real–time to measure air quality trends, allow advanced notice of unhealthy air quality, and inform the community of health risks

The UAQL is running the two programs mentioned above to increase awareness of air quality throughout the Southern Nevada Valley. These programs deeply involve our community members with in person workshops and opportunities to conduct research on their own with our devices. 

Outdoor air pollution takes a great toll on our bodies, causing illnesses from a minor cough to chronic lung disease and even death. Airborne particulate matter (PM) are small particles related to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and environmental degradation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm and 10 µm, PM2.5 and PM10, respectively, as criteria pollutants for which the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) must be complied in all urban areas (USEPA, 2015). PM10, according to the EPA are “inhalable coarse particles” while PM2.5 is “fine particles” that could penetrate deeper into the human’s respiratory system. Exposure to unhealthy concentrations of air over long periods of time can increase the likelihood of chronic disease and shorten lifespan.