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Monitors & What They Measure

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Monitoring sites are chosen to provide data for various purposes. Some are selected because they are probable "hot spots" for certain air pollutants while others are chosen to provide data that is representative of wider geographic areas. Local topography and pollution sources are both factors in determining the suitability of potential monitoring locations.

The table below contains the full list of monitoring sites across Massachusetts and the parameters measured at each of them. For more details on the network, see the Air Monitoring Topics above or the most recent Annual Air Quality Report.


Monitoring Sites & Parameters Measured

                                                 

P A R A M E T E R S    M E A S U R E D

M O N I T O R I N G   S I T E S

O
3

C
O

S
O
2

N
O
x
*

N
O
y

P
b

M
e
t

P
M
10

P
M
2.5

B
A
M

P
A
M
S

T
o
x
i
c
s

B
C

S
P
E
C

O
t
h
e
r
**

 Adams-Mt Greylock

x

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Amherst-UMass

x

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Boston-Kenmore

 

x

x

x

 
 

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Boston-One City Square

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Boston-Long Island

x

 

 

x

 
 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 Boston-Harrison Ave

x

x

x

x

x
x

x

x

x

x

 

x

x

x

 

 Boston-North End

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

x

x

 

 

x

 

 

 Brockton-Post Office

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Chicopee-Westover AFB

x

x

 

x

 
 

x

 

x

 

x

 

 

x

 

 Fairhaven-Wood School

x

 

 

 

 
 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Fall River-Globe St

 

 

x

 

 
 

 

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

 Haverhill-Consentino School

x

 

 

x

 
 

x

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

 Lawrence-MassDEP Laboratory

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lowell-Old City Hall

 

x

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Lynn-Water Treatment Plant

x

 

 

x

 
 

x

 

x

x

x

x

 

 

 

 Milton-Blue Hill Observatory

x

 

 

x

 
 

x

 

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 Newburyport-Plum Island

x

 

 

x

x
 

x

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 Pittsfield-78 Center St

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Pittsfield-1 South St

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 Springfield-Liberty St

 

x

x

x

 
 

 

 

x

x

 

 

x

 

 

 Springfield-1860 Main St

 

 

 

 

 
x

 

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Stow-USAF Laboratory

x

 

 

 

 
 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

 Truro-National Seashore

x

 

 

 

 
 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

x

 Uxbridge-Blackstone Heritage

x

 

 

 

 
 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 Ware-Quabbin Summit

x

 

x

x

x
 

x

x

x

x

x

x

 Worcester-Airport

x

 

 

 

 
 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Worcester-2 Washington St

 

 

 

 
 

 

x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Worcester-Summer St

 

x

x

x

 
 

 

x

x

x

 

 

 

 

 

LEGEND OF PARAMETER ACRONYMS

O3 = Ozone | CO = Carbon Monoxide | SO2 = Sulfur Dioxide | *NOx = Nitric Oxide, including Nitrogen Dioxide | NOy = Total Reactive Oxides of Nitrogen | Pb = Lead | Met = Meteorological Parameters | PM10 = Particulate Matter (10 microns & smaller) | PM2.5 = Fine Particles (2.5 microns & smaller) | BAM = Beta Attenuation Monitor (Continuous Fine Particles) | PAMS = Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station | Toxics = Toxic Air Pollutants including Carbonyls (Aldehydes), Metals & Volatile Organic Compounds | BC = Black Carbon | SPEC = Speciated Fine Particles | **Other = IMPROVE PM Speciation (Ware & Truro) & Upper Air Meteorology (Stow)

Massachusetts Air Monitors by the Numbers

Each of the 28 MassDEP-operated sites in the Massachusetts ambient air monitoring network features a unique combination of equipment.

Continuous Monitors

These instruments measure ambient air conditions 24 hours per day and report data as hourly averages. They generally fall into one of three categories:

1. Criteria Pollutant Monitors measure pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been set.

Parameters Measured

# Sites

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

5

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Nitric Oxide (NO), Total Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

11

Ozone (O3)*

14

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

6

PM2.5 (Fine Particles)

10


* MassDEP also receives ozone (O3) data from the Wampanoag Tribal Site at Aquinnah on Martha's Vineyard. Given the importance of that site to the evaluation of ozone transported into the region from upwind areas, MassDEP includes data from that site on its website.

2. Meteorological Monitors track weather conditions

Parameters Measured

# Sites

Barometric Pressure (BP)

12

B-Band Ultraviolet Radiation

1

Precipitation

2

Profiler (Wind Speed/Direction & Temperature at Various Altitudes)

1

Relative Humidity

12

Solar Radiation

12

Temperature

13

Wind Speed & Direction

12

3. Other Monitors

Parameters Measured

# Sites

Acid Deposition (Acidic Compounds in Precipitation)*

0*

Black Carbon

3

Photochemical Assessment (PAMS) of Ozone Precursors Such as Hydrocarbons, Aldehydes & NOx

4

Total Reactive Oxidized Nitrogen (NOy)

2

*There are two National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitors, in Truro and Ware, but they are not operated by MassDEP.

Intermittent Monitors

These instruments take discrete samples for a specific time period either daily, every third day or every sixth day. The data is averaged in intervals of between three and 24 hours. These monitors fall into one of two categories:

1. Criteria Pollutant Monitors measure pollutants for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been set.

Parameters Measured

# Sites

Coarse Particles (Up to 10 Microns)

6

Fine Particles (2.5 Microns or Smaller)

15

Lead (Pb)

1


2. Non-Criteria Pollutant Monitors measure pollutants for which NAAQS have not been set.

Parameters Measured

# Sites

Toxic Metals in Coarse Particles (Up to 10 Microns)

1

Photochemical Assessment (PAMS) for Volatile Organic Compounds

4

Speciated Fine Particles, Metals, Nitrates & Organics

2

Toxics (VOCs)

2