Air Quality Resources

breathe project logo

  • Breathe Project is a clearinghouse for information on air quality in Pittsburgh, southwestern Pennsylvania, and beyond. Learn more about the science and technology important to this issue and discover opportunities to take action on air quality.
https://breatheproject.org/

Breathe Database: this excellent database of public health resources is sortable by keyword, topic, and region. Find information about everything from methane to climate change to asthma.

https://breatheproject.org/database-of-resources/

national academic logo

Indoor Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and Practical Mitigation Approaches (Workshop)

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) have published the proceedings of their January 26, 2022, workshop. To download a copy, click here.

For more information about indoor particulate matter and related activities at the National Academies, visit:

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-particulate-matter

To view the video recordings of the indoor particulate matter workshops, please visit the following link and scroll to the bottom. The workshop dates are listed and videos can be found upon clicking a date and scrolling to the bottom of the page.

https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/indoor-exposure-to-fine-particulate-matter-and-practical-mitigation-approaches---a-workshop

epa logo

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

This EPA site offers a variety of resources focused specifically on indoor air quality. Learn about everything from air cleaners to climate change.

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq
Tools for Schools

Poor air quality in a learning environment is linked to absenteeism, low test scores, and reduced productivity. With webinars and toolkits for both parents and educators, this page is dedicated to information about air quality in schools.

https://www.epa.gov/iaq-schools
AirNow

The EPA's AirNow tool allows users to enter a zip code, city, or state and get information about their air in real time.

https://www.airnow.gov
EPA Federal Interagency Committee on Indoor Air Quality

The Committee on Indoor Air Quality (CIAQ) coordinates federal indoor air quality research and facilitates the exchange of information among governmental agencies. This page contains materials from CIAQ meetings, webinars on air quality, and more.

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/federal-interagency-committee-indoor-air-quality
Air Topics

Broaden your understanding of air quality and its impact on health and the environment by exploring the EPA's resources on topics such as CO2 pollution, radon, mold, transportation, and more.

https://www.epa.gov/environmental-topics/air-topics
Tools and Resources: Webinar Series

The EPA hosts free webinars on the third Wednesday of every month, 3:00–4:00 PM (ET), rotating through several key research areas. Check out upcoming webinars and look back through past webinars on the topic of air.

https://www.epa.gov/research-states/epa-tools-and-resources-webinar-series
Tools and Resources: Training Webinar Series

These training webinars from the EPA are held bimonthly on the first Thursday of the month, 3:00–4:00 PM (ET), and touch on several important environmental research areas, including air quality. Attend a free training webinar or revisit past webinars to build your knowledge and skills.

https://www.epa.gov/research-states/epa-tools-and-resources-training-webinar-series

iaq radio logo

The IAQ Radio project offers live and archived pieces on current, past, and future topics in IAQ. Episodes feature industry professionals and members of academia in interviews and discussions and cover a wide variety of topics relating to IAQ and restoration.

http://www.iaqradio.com/
Episodes of Interest

Health Impacts of Air Pollution

california air resources board logo

Indoor Air Quality & Exposure

The California Air Resource Board conducts and promotes research into the effects of indoor air quality and personal exposure. This page includes information about air cleaners, tips for improving IAQ, ARB programs related to air quality, and other resources on the topic.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/indoor.htm
School Health

This page offers links to information about the effects of air pollution on children's health—including asthma concerns—as well as mitigation strategies.

https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/school-health-0
Community Health Program

This page links to ARB research and programs that center on community health.

https://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/ch.htm

epa logo

Indoor Air Pollution: Introduction for Health Professionals

This guide provides a handy summary of health symptoms, signs, and health effects for health professionals. Especially helpful are the quick reference table, organized by symptoms and pollutant class, and the questions for use in patient intake and medical history—use these tools to identify potential indoor and outdoor pollutant sources. This guide does not include some newer issues such as endocrine disruptor compounds and semivolatile organic compounds.

Co-sponsored by: The American Lung Association (ALA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and The American Medical Association (AMA)

https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/indoor-air-pollution-introduction-health-professionals

(HTML and PDF versions available)

Children's Health

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units are located in all regions of the U.S. These units are available to answer questions from healthcare professionals, parents, school officials, or other community members about children's symptoms that may be related to regionally specific environmental exposures, including exposures at schools. This link provides an interactive map detailing pediatric health by region.

https://www.epa.gov/children/learn-about-childrens-health-protection-where-you-live

indoor air quality scientific findings resource bank berkeley lab logo

The Berkeley Lab's Indoor Air Quality Scientific Findings Resource Bank looks at IAQ (especially in relation to health), examines remedial measures, and evaluates current knowledge on these issues. Useful for health and building professionals as well as the general public

https://iaqscience.lbl.gov/

national center for healthy housing logo

The National Center for Healthy Housing is dedicated to providing the tools, data, and resources needed to ensure that everyone can live in a safe and healthy home. This website offers a wealth of information about housing policy, energy efficiency, lead contamination, IAQ, and children's health.

http://www.NCHH.org

osha logo

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)'s "Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings" guidance document provides practical recommendations that will help prevent or minimize IAQ problems in commercial and institutional buildings, and help resolve such problems quickly if they do arise.

Available here in PDF

Air Quality, Public Health, and Urban Planning

Despite several decades of progress, outdoor air pollution in the Pittsburgh area remains a significant public health burden. Substantial efforts to make Pittsburgh more sustainable, economically vibrant, and socially just may also improve the region's air quality. The following documents outline general planning guidance focused on such an alignment. Specific attention is also placed on (1) the intersections among public health, architecture, and air quality and (2) the health benefits of green space development.

norman andersonThese documents were prepared by ROCIS team member Norman Anderson, MSPH, Environment Public Health Consultant to the Heinz Endowments. Anderson collaborated with architects Sander Schuur, Linda Schuur, and Rik Ekstrom on the summary of the Stockholm-NYC conversation.

Comments and suggestions for improvement will be greatly appreciated:

Email: Norman Anderson

Perspectives on Better Integrating Health and Air Quality into the Sustainable Development Dialogue
PDF
Air Quality Guidance for Urban Development in the Pittsburgh Area
PDF
Supporting Air Quality Information for Develop With Care 2012; Environmental Guidelines for Urban and Rural Land Development in British Columbia
PDF
Greening the Urban Landscape: Implications for Air Quality and Public Health Promotion
PDF
Developing Air Quality Guidance Criteria For Urban Planners: How Model Cities Can Make a Difference
PDF
Northeast Diesel Collaborative – Diesel Emission Controls In Construction Projects