Air Truth

The Problem

Official air quality monitoring stations are sparse — often just a handful per city. Between industrial zones, agricultural spraying, wildfire smoke, and other sources, the air you breathe at your home could be significantly different from what the nearest official monitor reports.

And the data that does exist isn’t always trustworthy or easily accessible. When official readings say “moderate” but your community can see a haze in the air, who do you believe?

People deserve to know exactly what they’re breathing. Not an estimate from a station 15 miles away — real data from real sensors in their neighborhood.

The Vision

A citizen science platform where anyone can set up a low-cost air quality sensor ($50-100) and contribute data to a public, real-time map. The platform aggregates citizen sensor data alongside official readings, highlights discrepancies, and alerts communities when air quality drops.

Imagine a Google Maps-style interface where every neighborhood has air quality data — contributed by the people who live there. When readings diverge from official reports, the data speaks for itself.

What’s Been Done

• Researched low-cost sensor options (PurpleAir, SDS011, BME680)
• Mapped the existing citizen science air quality landscape
• Identified partnership potential with environmental advocacy groups
• Initial data schema designed for sensor readings

How to Help

Just Interested? Request to join and tell us where you’d want to set up a sensor. Your location data helps us plan the network.

Have Ideas? We need input on sensor placement strategy, data validation approaches, and how to present environmental data to non-technical audiences.

Ready to Build? We need help with sensor hardware setup, data pipeline design, mapping and visualization, and building the public dashboard. Claude handles the code — you bring the direction.

Have Environmental Expertise? Understanding of air quality standards, particulate matter, and environmental monitoring methodology is crucial.