Still doubt the accuracy of low cost air quality monitors?

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Today, local forest fire events have triggered extremely high air quality readings in Kamloops BC. For more than two years the BC Ministry of Environment and others have been raising doubts about the quality and accuracy of citizen science networks like PurpleAir. They have issued statements to media, city councils, and other branches of government calling this equipment cheap smoke detectors that are Made in China.

It's an inconvenient truth for them when smoke problems catch them with their pants down.

Today the Air Quality Health Index lagged several hours in telling people in the community about the real risk.

They had their index at a low risk level of 3 out of 10 when it was clear from our readings beginning at 3AM that this was a dramatic underestimate. The same thing happened all of last Summer in the region with incredibly high levels of risk to the population that were systematically downplayed.

Here's (yet again) proof that these devices work - and they work well!




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