Description
Why air quality
People living in Minneapolis Green Zones worry about air pollutants in their neighborhoods. In 2020, residents wanted to understand how COVID-19 may have affected different communities. They worried especially about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities because those neighborhoods had more air pollution. The City started the Community Air Monitoring Project because of these concerns.
City and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff held meetings to listen to community members. At these meetings, residents talked about their air quality experiences. Together, we decided the types of air sensors to use and where to put them. In 2022, we started placing air sensors around the city, with priority in the Green Zones. These sensors measure common pollutants throughout Minneapolis. We share the air quality data with residents. This allows communities to stay informed and act to protect their health. We continue to explore how to use the data to take action and reduce air pollution through:
- Programs
- Policy
- Voluntary pollution reduction projects
Indicators
Indicators help us track our progress towards our goals. The indicator for this strategy is:
- Number of Minneapolis neighborhoods with an air sensor
Each year, we update our map to show only active sensors. Neighborhoods with sensors may vary year-to-year as sensors stop working, are removed, or as new ones are installed.
What we’re doing now
We maintain a network of three types of air sensors:
60 PurpleAir sensors
- Measure particulate matter (PM2.5).
- These are tiny particles in the air that get deep into the lungs and are harmful to human health.
- Are located outside of homes, schools, and businesses
- Are available to Minneapolis residents to host.
30 AQMesh sensors
- Measure 5 gases of concern for air pollution.
- Carbon monoxide (CO)
- Carbon dioxide (CO2)
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
- Ozone (O3)
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Were placed on City-owned light poles from July 2023 through May 2025.
- Collected data that is still being studied.
15 SENSIT SPOD sensors
- Measure volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- These are a group of air pollutants of concern that can be harmful to human health.
- Have a canister attached to them to measure high levels of air pollution.
- The canister collects an air sample that’s sent to a lab. There, scientists identify and measure the concentration of over 60 VOCs of concern.
Learn more by visiting our air quality monitoring dashboard.
Image: Purple air sensor.
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