EPA Region 4 Air Sensor Loan Programs
PM 2.5 Sensor Loan Program
Description: EPA’s Region 4 office, in Atlanta, Georgia, now loans portable fine particulate matter (PM2.5) sensors to the public. The program helps drive positive change and improve public health by collecting non-regulatory outdoor air quality data. These sensors are not Federal Equivalent Methods (FEMs) or Federal Reference Methods (FRMs). Data from these sensors are not applicable to regulatory decision making for the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). However, they can be useful to understand general PM2.5 levels and trends in an area.
Equipment available for loan:
- PurpleAir PA-II-SD* – this stationary sensor measures fine particulate matter (PM2.5); for outdoor use; plug-in powered; data available locally on the microSD card or connected to WiFi for private or public data streaming.
Eligibility: Individuals, community groups, schools, and other interested organizations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
Training: Loanees receive a Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) to follow from EPA Region 4. This document provides procedures for sensor operation, data collection and analysis, and quality assurance. EPA staff will be available to answer specific questions during a loan project.
Additional information: Shipping to users is free. Users pay the cost of return shipping or delivery to the EPA Region 4 laboratory office in Athens, Georgia. Access to WiFi and a power outlet are required. Sensors can be borrowed for up to one year.
Apply here:
Application form for EPA Region 4 PM2.5 Air Sensor Loan
EPA Region 4 PM2.5 Air Sensor Loan QAPP (pdf)
EPA Region 4 Revocable Air Sensor Licensing Agreement (pdf)
Fenceline VOC Sensor Loan Program
Description: EPA Region 4 loans fenceline Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) sensors, which continuously measure total VOC concentrations direction near a pollution emissions source.
EPA Region 4 VOC Sensor Loan Program Fact Sheet (pdf)
Equipment Available for loan:
- SENSIT SPOD –a low-cost sensor system combining wind and air pollutant concentration measurements detects VOC emission plumes; for outdoor use; integrated battery or solar powered; data available to loanees online or on the SD card.
Eligibility: The fenceline VOC sensors require specific technical skills and experience with air monitoring equipment. Applicants for this program include state, local, and tribal air agencies. Region 4 considers loans to non-governmental groups or partnerships with relevant technical capacity and experience with air monitoring, such as academic institutions or research institutes.
Training: EPA Region 4 will train any accepted loanees on how to use the fenceline VOC sensors and all accompanying software. A QAPP will be provided for loanees to follow for screening level projects.
Additional Information: EPA Region 4 covers costs including shipping equipment to loanees and data costs associated with cloud services utilized by the sensors.
Contacts:
- R4AirSensorLoan@epa.gov
- PM2.5 Sensor Loan: Katie Marie Beck, (404) 562-8166
- Fenceline VOC Sensor Loan: Katherine Meiser, (404) 562-9430