A group of community members in Corona de Tucson is teaming up with the University of Arizona to track air quality in anticipation of a major mining operation set to begin nearby.
Purple Air monitors have been installed across the area, including on the roof of Copper Ridge Elementary School, as part of a citizen science effort aimed at collecting baseline air quality data. These monitors measure pollutants like PM 2.5, a fine particulate matter that can cause respiratory problems.
The initiative is supported by the University of Arizona’s Southwest Environmental Health Center, which operates a lending library providing free access to its air sensors…