Air Monitoring Details

Project Summary

The Air Monitoring project will begin with a limited scope as quickly as possible to begin monitoring as soon as Boeing begins cleanup activities at the site. Due to the urgency, we have built in flexibility with the implementation and will add components as funds allow. 

  • Winter/Spring 2026: Fundraising, finding volunteer hosts for monitors

  • Summer/Fall 2026: Installation of a minimum of three QuantAQ monitors, three radiological monitors, analysis of data, community workshops

  • 2027: DRUM Sampling by UC, Davis to “speciate” air samples, purchase and implement additional monitors for improved data, continue community outreach and education

Equipment

QuantAQ Research-Grade Air Monitors (four total)

  • PASSFL has purchased three QuantAQ research-grade air monitors

  • One additional QuantAQ research-grade air monitor, measuring:

    • PM2.5 (fine particulate matter ≤ 2.5 microns)

    • PM10 (coarse particulate matter ≤ 10 microns)

    • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

    • Local meteorological conditions

    • Data uploaded to the web for public access

Radiological Air Monitors (three total)

  • Continuous Low-Flow Radiological Monitors (2 units)

    • Commercial-grade radiological air monitors
      Equipped with beta and gamma radiation detectors

    • Real-time online data access

    • Sample approximately 3 liters of air per day (each unit)

    • Designed to record and report long-term average radiation levels over multi-week period

    • Data automatically uploaded to a public-facing website for transparency

  • High-Volume Radiological “Sample Train” Monitor (1 unit)

    • Deployed when low-flow monitors indicate a potential radiological plume or elevated readings

    • Capable of detecting plume events within minutes

    • Collects approximately 57,600 liters of air per day during 1–2 day deployment periods

    • Provides high-resolution short-term event sampling

    • Data uploaded to a public-facing website for transparency

DRUM Sampling, UC Davis

The DRUM is not commercially available, and all measurements of the samples are custom instrumentation, designed and built at Crocker Nuclear Laboratory of UC Davis.

  • DRUM samples undergo a series of non-destructive analyses, including:

    • Soft-Beta Ray Attenuation (Mass)

    • Broadband Transmittance/Reflectance Spectrometry (optical properties): The transmittance measurements can be converted to "black carbon" using peer-reviewed mass scattering coefficients

    • Ion Beam Analysis (elements): Proton Elastic Scattering Analysis (PESA), Proton Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), and Rutherford BackScattering (RBS) provide concentrations of hydrogen (surrogate OC), carbon (surrogate EC), and sodium through arsenic plus lead.

    • Monitors PM2.5-PM10 and Mass, hydrogen, carbon (equivalent to EC), sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, potassium, calcium, titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, arsenic, and lead.

    • Data analysis will take weeks to months to process and will be made public when available.

Independent Analysis and Support 

Project Management

PASSFL will oversee all aspects of project implementation to ensure the project remains responsive, scientifically credible, and aligned with public health protection goals, including but not limited to:

  • Field operations and monitor deployment

  • Interagency and stakeholder coordination

  • Data transparency and accountability measures

  • Ongoing community outreach and engagement

Host

Become a Citizen Scientist

For the first phase of the Air Monitoring Network, we will prioritize areas highlighted in yellow on the map. If you live in one of the priority areas we’d be grateful if you’d host a monitor on your property. Monitors will need access to your electricity and WiFi to work. Data collected at your home would be public, but your address and name would remain anonymous.

Air monitors will be provided to hosts within the priority areas at no cost.

Learn more

LEARN

Our DATA

coming soon

Click on the map to learn about the air quality in your area and if the Santa Susana Field Lab is putting your community’s health at risk through toxic air pollution.