Air quality monitor celebrates a year in Carlisle: Sentinel News

December 6, 2009: Sentinel News

Air quality monitor celebrates a year in Carlisle

by Jason Scott

Excerpt:

While Carlisle has seen air pollution levels rise multiple time into the orange levels — unhealthy for sensitive groups — over the past year, particle pollution has been relatively mild on average, according to one-year data recorded by the Met One BAM-1020 air quality monitor, housed at The Sentinel.

The EPA-certified monitor was unveiled last November at the newspaper’s Carlisle office as part of the Clean Air Partnership between the Clean Air Board of Central Pennsylvania, Carlisle Regional Medical Center and The Sentinel.

The monitor provides data in real-time on an ongoing basis for PM2.5, a fine particulate linked to a variety of heart and lung ailments.

Hourly updates are posted online at The Sentinel’s Web site, www.cumberlink.com, and a daily average is published on the weather page each day in the print edition.

[...]

Cindy Small, spokesperson for Carlisle Regional Medical Center, said the hospital is “proud” to be a partner in such a “meaningful” tool to help maintain good health.

“We are concerned about the adverse health effects of fine particulate pollution,” she said. “As the community’s hospital, we encourage people of all ages to adopt healthy lifestyles that include walking, jogging, participating in outdoor athletic activities and we want them to truly be improving their health while doing these activities.

“Realistically, in our region, that means people in our community should be aware of the air pollutant levels when doing outdoor activities by referring to the postings of the pollution levels on The Sentinel’s Web site in order to make informed decisions that will protect their health.”

“The Sentinel is very proud to be partnering with the Clean Air Board and Carlisle Regional Medical Center on a unique environmental project that is beneficial to the health of our readers and online viewers,” said Sentinel Publisher Mark Blum.

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