Ohio State Installed Air Quality Monitors on Campus
New sensors on campus help track airborne particles to keep students and staff informed about local air quality.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Asthma
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ECOspace has installed PurpleAir monitors at Ohio State University to track microscopic air particles for the first time. The data will soon be available through a real-time map on the university mobile app.
Why it matters
Access to local air quality data helps the campus community identify conditions that could affect respiratory health. This project establishes a necessary baseline for tracking environmental changes across the university grounds.
The initial deployment involves PurpleAir monitors specifically calibrated to track PM2.5 particles, which measure 2.5 microns or less in diameter. This represents a new environmental monitoring effort for the institution, though the total number of future sensors remains to be determined.
The players
ECOspace
An organization focused on environmental monitoring that has initiated this campus air quality project.
Ohio State University
The institution hosting the new air quality sensors at its campus facilities.
The details
The monitors detect PM2.5, which consists of microscopic droplets and solid particles derived from sources like diesel exhaust and industrial smokestacks. By capturing these baseline readings at Smith Laboratory and Gerlach Hall, the system provides real-time oversight of the air quality environment. Once active, this data will be aggregated into a map integrated directly into the official Ohio State app for public use.
Timeline
September 24, 2026: The initial installation of the air quality monitors was confirmed.
Health Landscape
This project integrates the university into the broader PurpleAir sensor network, which standardizes community-led environmental monitoring. It marks a shift from relying on regional reporting to building hyper-local datasets for campus populations.
Students and staff should watch for the upcoming launch of the air quality map on the Ohio State app to monitor local conditions. Those with sensitivities to PM2.5 should consult their doctor about how to interpret these readings for their personal respiratory care plan.
The takeaway
Tracking hyper-local air quality is a useful step in understanding personal exposure to pollutants like diesel exhaust and industrial byproducts. If you have asthma or other respiratory concerns, discuss with your physician how to use local air quality indexes to guide your daily activity choices.
Further reading
For more information on managing respiratory health, visit Asthma.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Lantern.
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