PM OPERA: Study Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Urban Areas

Want to help improve air quality and protect community health—just by hosting a small monitor at your home, office, or community center?

We’re inviting residents of cities across the U.S. to take part in the PM OPERA study (Particulate Matter Oxidative Potential, Exposure, and Risk Assessment), a major national effort to understand how air pollution affects our health. This study is led by researchers at Colorado State University, Yale, Harvard, Columbia, and McGill, and is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

As a participant, you will receive a Community Air Monitor (CAM) to set up at your home (e.g., in a backyard) or at a secure workplace to measure tiny particles (called PM2.5) in the air. Each month, you will use CAM to collect a 2-week long PM2.5 sample, which should only take about 20 minutes of your time. Samples will be returned to Colorado State University every three months using pre-paid shipping materials that we will provide. We’ll look at what these particles are made of and how they could affect human health. By participating in the study, you will gain access to real-time air quality data provided by your CAM unit!

If you live in a populated U.S. city, we’d love to have you join us. No science background is needed—just a willingness to help. Together, we can better understand how air quality varies across communities and work toward a healthier future for everyone.

Interested in participating? Reach out today to learn more: https://opera.colostate.edu/precheck