Air Quality Monitors Up And Running In Williams Lake

All of the ten Air Quality Monitors are installed in various locations in Williams Lake to measure particulate matter in the airshed.

The monitors measure particulate matter PM 2.5 which Martin Kruus Education Coordinator with Scout Island Nature Centre, said are particles that are 2,5 micrometers across, just beyond human sight.

The goal is to model the variability of air quality in the airshed to improve the community’s air quality in the future.

Kruus said the data is collected continuously and explains how the public can check those findings.

“We’re working with a UNBC Professor, Peter L Jackson, and he’s a Metaconatologist. He has a grad student Brayden Nilson who has developed a map and this map is accessible to anyone in the community at any time to get real-time readings.”

“The goal is to collect data over the course of an entire year.” Kruss said, “The data is intended to encompass all four seasons and measure climate and human activity effects like wind, dust, inversions or forest fires, to name a few, to paint a picture of what’s happening in the Williams Lake airshed.

Kruss explained how the data collected can be viewed by residents.

“They upload that data directly through local WIFI and it goes to the air quality map and then is placed on that map in real-time. So anybody in Williams Lake can check that map any time, it’s called the AQ map, AQ for air quality and it’s available at UNBC.”

Kruss added that these Air Quality Monitors will not be used to measure Air Quality Health Index Warnings nor to regulate industry.

This project is supported by the Ministry of Environment along with Pinnacle Pellet and Atlantic Power who purchased the ten Air Quality Monitors.