Delaware County, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) launches the Delaware County Air Monitoring Project online dashboard that tracks and studies particulate matter (PM), a mixture of tiny solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air, to collect air quality data.
“Poor air quality can impact human health and the environment,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “The data calculated on the dashboard will identify sources of air pollution and be used as a tool to develop mitigation strategies to improve the air in impacted communities.”
The project study area spans roughly seven miles, from west to east, across City of Chester, Chester Township, Upland Borough, Trainer Borough, Marcus Hook Borough, Lower Chichester Township, and the southern portion of Upper Chichester Township.
The public can view the Spanish and English speaking versions of Delaware County Air Monitoring Project dashboard at the following link.
The monitors measure air pollutants, including dust/particles (PM), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Currently the dashboard is only displaying data for PM2.5 reading. A final version of the dashboard is expected in the coming months which will show historical data of other air pollutants, and the community can view the data directly, whether they are interested in the complete study area or just the sensor nearest to their home or workplace. This dashboard will help the public assess real-time information to understand the concentrations that lead to exceedances in local communities.
DEP was awarded $377,443 in July 2023, from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) American Rescue Plan grant program to conduct enhanced PM monitoring in Delaware County waterfront communities working in partnership with Delaware County and Johns Hopkins University, who will perform the data analysis. In December 2025, DEP finished deploying 32 air monitoring sensors. This project is designed to provide a data set to begin to address concerns expressed by the community who live near industrial businesses and heavy traveled transportation corridors that have led to community members’ questions about the air quality in their neighborhoods.
As part of the program, Delaware County is beginning its community outreach. Please see the link to the Delaware County Planning Department’s project website: Air Quality Monitoring. The county has planned public meetings to answer any questions and provide expert support to understand the data.
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