Speck Monitors: Pittsburgh Air Quality Empowerment Lending Library

Air quality is a growing concern in the 21st century. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is particularly harmful to our health and quality of life. This team aims to investigate how citizens can be empowered to understand sources of PM2.5 in their homes and take steps to improve the air they breathe.

The project provides Pittsburgh residents with access to Speck air quality monitors through their local libraries, supports citizens’ air quality explorations through discussions with air quality experts and community advocates, and evaluates how these interventions impact community engagement and empowerment around air quality issues.