Communities take the lead in monitoring air, which may be threatened by algae blooms

Handheld, cup-like electronic devices now rest on the tops of buildings in northeast North Carolina, all but invisible to residents and passersby.

If they do notice and learn the sensors’ purpose, they may wonder what’s going on with the air in their beautiful and historical neighborhoods.

The white devices, two of which were recently installed in Elizabeth City with the help and supervision of researchers, community leaders and workers, are tracking air quality issues that researchers suspect is linked to algae blooms.

The News & Observer previously reported on a study of poor air quality and the timing of algal bloom. Environmental scientist Haley Plaas at the University of North Carolina is researching if algae, and potentially the chemicals they produce, can escape from the water and affect air quality.

When water sprays occur on contaminated water bodies, the bubbles can absorb algae and their chemicals. The algae particles are released into the air when the bubble burst, producing airborne pollutants.

The airborne particles are so small that they can enter deep into human organs through the respiratory tract.

“It doesn’t matter what [the particle] is made of as long as it’s clogging up your lungs,” Plaas said.

The air quality devices in northeast N.C. will help Plaas, who works with other university and community scientists, determine the correlation between aquatic algal bloom and airborne particulate matter across the rivers of the Albemarle Sound, where algae blooms have resurfaced after nearly 30 years.

The Chowan-Edenton Environmental Group, a citizen-run organization, has been working to improve water and air quality that have been threatened by algal blooms in recent years. Many CEEG members are scientists or teachers who work to educate the community about environmental issues.

CEEG and researchers will install nearly 20 more sensors in the community’s public facilities and private homes in the upcoming months. The Edenton Racial Reconciliation Group of Chowan County and Chowan University of Northampton County are among the candidates for installing air quality sensors, while the researchers are waiting for more facilities and homeowners willing to host sensors.

Real-time particulate matter tracking

The handheld device, manufactured by PurpleAir, resembles a miniature dome with a circular base and stands about 3 inches tall. Installing it is not a too sweaty job; the sensor comes with easy plug-in instructions and can be powered by household electric outlets.

One of the two new Pasquotank County sensors was installed on the high grid wall of the Museum of the Albemarle’s corridor, about 500 feet from the Pasquotank River which flows its fresh water to the Albemarle Sound.

One mile west-south from the museum is another sensor that’s been up and running since July. The white device can be found on the backside of the Albemarle Regional Health Services building.

The sensor detects airborne particulate matter with diameters of less than 2.5 and 10 micrometers, known as PM 2.5 and PM 10.

The amount of particles is converted to a series of indexes, which can tell people about the level of air pollution. The higher the index value, the worse the air pollution and the greater the risk to human health.

The air quality index is categorized into different color codes — from healthy green to very unhealthy purple — which tells people if they should go outside and what precautions they should take to protect their health.

PurpleAir’s website displays real-time data that maps the air quality index and its associated color in the United States and around the world. Many sensor users are concerned residents who check online maps for local air quality amid various environmental issues like wildfires and pollens that can increase airborne particles.

The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality is monitoring PM 2.5 in 16 counties for the past few years, with a smaller monitoring scale on PM 10 in 11 counties. The northeast regions of Pasquotank, Chowan, and Northampton counties have not yet squeezed onto any of the checking lists.

Community Scientists

Plaas will use the air quality map to determine if PM 2.5 or PM 10 increases when a bloom is happening around the Albemarle Sound. The citizen science organization CEEG helps researchers like Plaas connect with the community and set up needed equipment.

“When researchers come into an area, sometimes it’s hard to get places to put the equipment and all the logistics,” said Colleen Karl, chair of CEEG who has led the group for almost eight years, since her retirement from science education and school outreach for North Carolina State University.

The project is part of the Community Collaborative Research Grant program, founded by N.C. Sea Grant, N.C. Water Resources Research Institute, and Kenan Institute of N.C. State University. The Albemarle Sound research is one of four funded community-university collaborations for air and water quality, according to a June press release.

One goal of the Community Collaborative Research Grant is to encourage local citizens of all ages to get involved in learning and improving environmental issues.

“Many families have lived, fished and made their living here for 200 years. It’s hard for them to realize there are changes in our water that we should pay attention to,” Karl said.

“People are starting to pay closer attention as evidenced by a lot of [conversation] on our Facebook page,” she added.

One of the warnings posted on the page in early August said, “When in doubt, stay out!” and was accompanied by photos of a blue-tinged Bennett’s Millpond. The pond is near the confluence of Chowan River and the Albemarle Sound.

Several comments on the post and earlier Millpond photos mentioned similar algal blooms throughout the Albemarle system. CEEG encourages people to report any algal blooms to the NCDEQ monitoring system.

How to get involved

To join the community science on algal bloom:

• Report a suspicious algal bloom on the Division of Water Resources Citizen Report.

• Contact the regional office staff at NCDEQ when you are concerned about air quality or smell something unusual in the air.

• Visit northeast N.C. in September to celebrate National Estuaries Week.