Email Print Share
March 18, 2019

Young citizen scientists assist in Salt Lake City air quality research


Middle and high school students in Salt Lake City are helping scientists and the community better understand particulate matter pollution, which typically appears as a haze over the city in the winter. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), University of Utah chemical engineer Kerry Kelly and a team set up the partnership for outreach and education, as well as research. Acting as citizen scientists, the kids measure air quality with low-cost sensors in various areas around town, including their homes and schools. In school, they construct simplified sensors out of building blocks to learn how they work.

The research in this episode was supported by NSF award #1642513, Community Network to Understand Air Quality and Sensor Reliability.

Credit: National Science Foundation


Images and other media in the National Science Foundation Multimedia Gallery are available for use in print and electronic material by NSF employees, members of the media, university staff, teachers and the general public. All media in the gallery are intended for personal, educational and nonprofit/non-commercial use only.

Videos credited to the National Science Foundation, an agency of the U.S. Government, may be distributed freely. However, some materials within the videos may be copyrighted. If you would like to use portions of NSF-produced programs in another product, please contact the Video Team in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs at the National Science Foundation.

Additional information about general usage can be found in Conditions.