AirCasting for Personal Use

Getting Started

Feeling helpless about the state of our environment? Don’t! Now that you’ve got the AirBeam, you are empowering yourself and others with information that can have a big impact on the health of your community. Government and regulatory agencies throughout the world rely on networks of fixed-site monitors to measure air quality and evaluate compliance with air quality standards. Unfortunately, they are expensive and in turn, few and far between. Since concentrations of microscopic air pollutants can fluctuate drastically over short distances and time periods, government air quality monitoring networks…well… aren’t giving you the full picture. Recording hyperlocal air quality data, block-by-block, and second-to-second, can give you the information you need to actually improve the air you breathe! Take the time to go through this six-step process and start sharing your air!

1

step one

Air Quality 101 Lesson

We hear about air pollution all the time. But, do we really understand what it means to breathe in polluted air? Learn what air pollution is, where it comes from, and what it does to our bodies.

Download the Factsheet

2

step two

AirBeam Intro: Why Measure Air Quality?

When you record an AirCasting session with your AirBeam, whenever and wherever you are, your air quality is mapped and graphed in real-time. You will pick up differences between places, identify patterns, and with some sleuthing you may be even able to identify sources, like your neighbor’s BBQ or the emissions from a nearby manufacturing facility. Afterward, your measurements are uploaded to the AirCasting website at aircasting.org where they are shared globally with thousands of people like you who have collectively contributed over a billion data points.

Watch the Intro Video

3

step three

Get to Know Your AirBeam

AirBeam3 is HabitatMap’s latest version of its palm-sized air quality monitor. The updated design is more compact, Apple and Android compatible, has a longer-lasting battery, and improved accuracy. Best of all, the weather-resistant enclosure makes it suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Wear AirBeam3 to track your personal air pollution exposures throughout the day or hang it inside or outside your home to track air pollution 24/7. Check out this short video to understand the working parts and what they can do.

Watch “Getting Started with AirBeam 3” (Video)

4

step four

Set up Your AirBeam

Breeze through the AirBeam set-up process using these handy quickstart videos and guide.

Watch “Mobile Monitoring with AirBeam3” (Video)

Watch “Fixed Monitoring with AirBeam3” (Video)

Download the Standalone Mode Guide

5

step five

Understand Your Exposures Inside + Outside Your Home

Assessing your daily exposures to air pollution is a good way to begin AirCasting. We suggest starting at home. Recording a fixed AirBeam session inside or outside your home will enable you to gather insights on how your exposure to air pollution changes throughout the day and how changes in pollution levels may be related to what is happening both inside and outside your home.

Learn How to Understand Your Exposures

Watch “Fixed Monitoring with AirBeam3” (Video)

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Step six

Find a Healthier Commute

Comparing air pollution exposures along alternate commuting routes/modes of transit is a popular AirCasting activity. Air pollution can vary block-to-block, so hyperlocal air quality monitoring can help you determine the healthiest way to get to and from school or work. To find a new commute you will need to configure your AirBeam for mobile monitoring.

Learn How to Find a Healthier Commute

Watch “Mobile Monitoring with AirBeam3” (Video)

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User
Stories

“Know what you are exposed to, it will literally save your life!”

– Ruzmyn Vilcassim

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
“The AirBeam increases visibility of what’s invisible.”

– Dawn Roberts-Semple

YORK COLLEGE, CUNY
“AirCasting puts air quality data collection in the hands of ordinary people and under-resourced organizations. Also, it has been a powerful experience for people impacted by poor air quality to measure air quality first hand.”

-Jen Chantrtanapichate

CLEANUP NORTH BROOKLYN
“The AirBeam is a critical tool for enabling communities to understand and advocate for change in their local environments.”

– Andrew Mondschein

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
“The AirBeam is a low-cost and very accessible way to put hyperlocal air quality data in the hands of community members who need it the most, who are most affected by poor air quality, and who can use it as a starting point to understand personal exposures to air pollution.”

-Wendy Gutschow

USC ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH CENTERS
“The AirBeam is an essential tool for citizen science and learning about air quality in our classroom.”

-Anna Mello

THE CHAPLIN SCHOOL
“AirBeam + AirCasting generates a lot of classroom excitement and good discussion when teaching 8th graders about air pollution.”

– Charles Stanier

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
“AirCasting is an easy and interesting way to find out how the air quality around you is and use this data to discuss ways of improving your community.”

– Henrique S. Benites

UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WHALES
“AirBeams are a great way to show students of all ages what is in the air they are breathing in real time. It is an invaluable tool to provide education and outreach about air pollution sources and how small changes can make a big difference.”

– Anna Leonard

PIEDMONT TRIAD REGIONAL COUNCIL
“Being able to see how a truck passing by impacts our air inspires folks to advocate for themselves and their community – as well as sparking interest and curiosity into how these technologies work from a back-end perspective.”

– Sadie Coughlin-Prego

QUEENSBRIDGE TECH LAB

Get Inspired! See How Orgs Use Their Data to Make Change.

Knowledge is power when it comes to air quality. But now that you are empowered with hyperlocal air quality data measurements, what exactly will you do with them? Check out what these six change-making organizations did.

Learn More