A team led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has installed 20 air quality monitoring stations in West Los Angeles. This initiative is part of efforts to provide residents with real-time information on air quality as reconstruction continues following the Palisades fire.
“The fires released a complex mix of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds from burned structures, vehicles and household products, and these emissions can persist for weeks to months as damaged materials gradually release pollutants back into the air,” said Yifang Zhu, a UCLA Fielding School of Public Health air quality expert leading the project.
The Community Action Project Los Angeles Air, or CAP AIR, consists of sensor stations located from Topanga State Park through Pacific Palisades towards Brentwood and south towards Santa Monica. The data collected is available to the public via an online dashboard that updates every 5–10 minutes.
“Additionally,” Zhu noted, “cleanup activities — debris removal and demolition — and construction may further stir up dust and other contaminants, prolonging exposure risks for returning residents and construction workers. So, our goal here is to give residents access to real-time, local air quality data; help identify pollution hotspots; and inform public health responses.”
This project is funded by nonprofit foundations including the R&S Kayne Foundation and the Danhakl Family Foundation. Dr. Victoria Danhakl of the Danhakl Family Foundation emphasized the importance of this research: “As both a mother and a physician living in the Palisades, I believe Dr. Zhu’s air quality research is essential for all residents.”
The UCLA network tracks both fine airborne particles (PM 2.5) and coarser particles (PM 10), which are often stirred up during construction activities. “While there are existing sensor networks that track PM 2.5, there’s a real gap when it comes to monitoring PM 10,” Zhu explained.
County officials reported that January’s blazes in Los Angeles County claimed at least 29 lives and damaged or destroyed more than 18,000 structures.
