Maricopa County and the Phoenix area in particular are relatively unusual as people stay indoors for long periods of time in summer months because of the heat. Additionally, the air exchanges between the inside of houses with the outside are limited because of energy considerations and the nearly universal use of air condition systems. Only very limited observational work exists in Maricopa County limited to special populations while overall there is no observational database on indoor/outdoor pollution ratios and the impact of heat. This project will follow a crowdsourced, “citizen science” approach to identify and correct knowledge gaps on indoor exposure to air pollution and heat, as well as the relationship between indoor and outdoor pollution levels in Maricopa County. The project will use students (high-school and college) as “citizens” and provide them with air pollution and temperature sensors to make the measurements in their homes (and school/work environments) and collect data in their neighborhoods. To expand the impact of this project, science education curricula will be developed and distributed based on the findings of this project.

Partners

BASIS schools