Study Report
Thurston County Saturation Study Data Plots
Status Updates
The goals of this study were:
- Determine whether the data collected from the air monitor at the Mason County fire station in downtown Shelton, Washington represents regional ambient air quality,
- Evaluate seasonal air quality variability,
- Identify the primary sources of regional PM2.5,
- Identify whether a new location would be more appropriate for the permanent monitor.
Four temporary air monitors were installed around Mason County between June 2019 and June 2020. Initially these monitors were the optical particle counters previously used in the Clallam, Jefferson, and Thurston County saturation studies. Advances in sensor technology dramatically lowered the cost of new sensors while increasing the flexibility in placement requirements and datalogging capabilities. After vetting the data quality, ORCAA switched to Purple Air sensors to conduct the Mason County saturation study.