Wisconsin's Air Monitoring Network

The primary goal of the DNR's air monitoring program is to increase public access to air monitoring data and to strengthen its network of continuous monitoring sites. Measurements of air quality are essentially a measure of the success of our air program efforts. Do our programs and regulations result in cleaner, healthier air? Is the program working? The answer lies in DNR's air monitoring data. In addition, scientists and researchers working on public health studies and ecosystem assessments use the data that DNR collects.

Wisconsin's ambient air quality monitoring network and this web site provide the public with timely access to air quality information, supports planning for air quality improvements, and establishes a mechanism for program accountability. Our network focuses on EPA's list of the most serious health-related air pollutants: ozone, particle pollution, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Using continuous monitoring data, DNR informs the public quickly when air pollution concentrations reach certain threshholds. Based on these notices, people who are sensitive to air pollution may adjust their daily activities to minimize adverse health effects.

To see how Wisconsin's air quality compares with the rest of the nation, check out EPA's AIRNOW webpage [exit DNR].

Ambient Air Monitoring Network Configuration & Siting Criteria

The EPA has set minimum network requirements in federal code. Additional monitoring beyond federal minimum requirements is conducted in order to provide better documentation of air quality in a particular community. For example, adequately defining the ambient ozone problem in any given area, especially the larger urban areas, generally requires additional monitors. Federal grants fund the majority of the DNR air monitoring network.

Operating within funding constraints, Wisconsin's air program continues to:

• consolidate monitoring sites,
• increase automation,
• eliminate redundancies,
• upgrade to higher-sensitivity monitors for reactive nitrogen and carbon monoxide, and
• enhance the air toxics monitoring network.

DNR reviews its air monitoring network annually, which provides an opportunity for public input into decisions about what pollutants to monitor where.

Air Monitoring Information