We are thrilled to announce that starting April 2024, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is now integrating data from Clarity’s Node-S air quality sensors into their cutting-edge, real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) model. This model operates across a detailed grid of 1,218 cells, each 5 kilometers square, providing localized air quality updates to the residents of the South Coast AQMD region.

This collaboration allows the agency to provide information to the public using the best available air quality science. Integrating Clarity’s sensor data helps us provide the best guidance for residents to protect their health during periods of poor air quality.” 
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—  Dr. Scott Epstein, Planning and Rules Manager at South Coast AQMD

The use of Clarity data — especially from the 200 Node-S air quality sensors in Los Angeles Unified School District's Know Your Air Network —  improves the accuracy of South Coast AQMD's real-time AQI. You can now see the impact of Clarity sensors at work through South Coast AQMD’s AQI map on www.aqmd.gov/aqimap and via the South Coast AQMD mobile app. 

The Know Your Air Network is one of the densest and largest air quality sensor networks in the world and is located within South Coast AQMD’s jurisdiction — making the air quality measurements derived from this network highly valuable for the calculation of real-time AQI, when used alongside measurements from South Coast AQMD’s reference instruments. 

Each grid cell’s AQI is computed using a state-of-the-art technique developed by South Coast AQMD, combining data from regulatory monitors, model predictions from the National Air Quality Forecasting Capability operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and low-cost air pollution sensors like the Clarity Node-S and others. For additional details on how Clarity’s data is being utilized in South Coast AQMD’s AQI model and the broader impact of this collaboration, please see the comprehensive information here.

Partnering with the South Coast Air Quality Management District represents a significant milestone in our mission to enhance air quality monitoring and improve public health. This initiative empowers communities with real-time air quality data, fostering a proactive approach to reducing air pollution exposure. By integrating Clarity's Node-S sensor data into South Coast AQMD's innovative AQI model, we are not only improving the accuracy and resolution of the air quality information available to local residents but also demonstrating the power of open data in tackling environmental challenges."
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— David Lu, CEO and Co-Founder of Clarity Movement

While Clarity does not own any of the data produced by our Node-S air quality sensors — all air quality data produced are owned by our customers — we strongly encourage customers to make their air quality data public whenever possible. Making your Clarity data public helps to ensure that air quality researchers and agencies like South Coast AQMD have the maximum amount of information available to support their air pollution mitigation efforts. To learn more about how you can make your Clarity sensor data public through our Dashboard, please visit our Knowledge Base.

To encourage the availability of open air quality data from our devices, Clarity offers an easy and intuitive way to make air quality measurements recorded by your Node-S devices open via the Clarity Dashboard. 

Through partnerships like this, Clarity aims to support and empower air quality agencies, researchers, and the public in their efforts to better understand and reduce air pollution exposure.