DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — Residents in several Delaware County communities can now track local air quality in near real time through a new state dashboard designed to identify pollution sources and guide future cleanup efforts.
What This Means for You
- A new online tool lets residents track air pollution near their homes
- The system focuses on fine particle pollution linked to health risks
- Officials plan to use the data to identify sources and reduce emissions
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection launched the Delaware County Air Monitoring Project dashboard to collect and display air quality data across a seven-mile corridor along the county’s industrial waterfront. Particulate matter, or PM, refers to tiny solid particles and liquid droplets in the air that can be inhaled and pose health risks.
Where Monitoring Is Taking Place
The study area stretches west to east across the City of Chester, Chester Township, Upland Borough, Trainer Borough, Marcus Hook Borough, Lower Chichester Township, and the southern portion of Upper Chichester Township.
State officials said the project is focused on communities near industrial sites and heavily traveled transportation corridors, where residents have raised concerns about air quality.
What the Dashboard Tracks
The dashboard measures several pollutants, including particulate matter, ozone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
Currently, the system displays data for PM2.5, a type of fine particulate matter small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream. Officials said future updates will include historical and real-time data for additional pollutants.
Residents can view data for the entire study area or focus on readings from the monitor closest to their home or workplace.
DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said the tool is intended to support both public awareness and policy decisions.
“The data calculated on the dashboard will identify sources of air pollution and be used as a tool to develop mitigation strategies to improve the air in impacted communities,” Shirley said.
How the Project Is Funded and Managed
The project is supported by a $377,443 federal grant awarded in July 2023 through the American Rescue Plan.
DEP is working in partnership with Delaware County and Johns Hopkins University, which is responsible for analyzing the data collected by the monitoring system.
In December 2025, the department completed deployment of 32 air monitoring sensors across the study area.
Officials said the data will help establish a clearer picture of local air quality and guide future actions to address pollution concerns.
How Residents Can Access the Data
The dashboard is available in both English and Spanish at http://cedatareporting.pa.gov/reports/browse/Public/DEP/AQ/PBI.
A final version of the platform is expected in the coming months, with expanded data and additional features.
Community Outreach and Next Steps
Delaware County officials are beginning outreach efforts to help residents understand the data and how it may affect their communities.
Public meetings are planned to answer questions and provide technical guidance.
More information about the project is available at https://gis.delcopa.gov/portal/apps/sites/#/air-quality-monitoring.
Officials said the effort is intended to give residents clearer insight into local air conditions while supporting long-term strategies to reduce pollution exposure.
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