The Sierra Club - Lancaster Group PurpleAir Monitoring Initiative, which is placing air quality sensors throughout Lancaster County, is seeking volunteers to host additional air-sensing devices that it plans to purchase with a $2,600 Conservation Grant from the Sierra Club's Pennsylvania Chapter.

PurpleAir is a hyper-local air quality monitoring network that transmits data through a Wi-Fi connection to a real-time, public access map. While not as robust as government-regulated sensors like the two currently in Lancaster County, PurpleAir's sensors are considered fairly accurate for particulate matter, and they serve as a supplement to the government-regulated sensors.

Areas in Lancaster County without the Lancaster Group's PurpleAir sensors include Columbia, Conestoga, Drumore, East Petersburg, Gap, Intercourse, Landisville, Leola, Lititz, Marietta, Millersville, Mount Joy, Paradise, Quarryville, Washington Borough, and Willow Street. People residing in these locales who are interested in hosting one of the devices may email sierraclubevent@gmail.com and ask for an application, which covers the requirements for becoming a monitor host. Other areas of the county with existing or proposed future sources of air pollution will also be considered.

When positioning of the additional PurpleAir sensors is complete, the Lancaster Group will have installed about 18 of them at various locations in the county. Assessing Lancaster County's air quality became a goal of the Lancaster Group as a result of the American Lung Association's annual surveys, which consistently give the county low marks for short-term particle pollution. The aim of the initiative is to increase the amount of particulate matter data available to the general public, providing a more complete picture of the dangers associated with fine air particles and their effects on the health of local residents.

For more details, contact Lancaster Group member Allison Zechman, who is leading the initiative, at sierraclubevent@gmail.com. For additional info about the Sierra Club - Lancaster Group, visit http://www.lancastersierraclub.org.