SRU building weather tower
SLIPPERY ROCK — Julie Snow wants a new air quality observatory at Slippery Rock University to change the way residents and students think about the air they breathe.
"Everyone always looks up the weather — is it snowing or is it raining — but no one ever thinks about what the air quality is," Snow said. "Is it a good day for me to do my 10-mile run? Not if the ozone is up at 60 parts per billion.
"You can use this information to make choices about your health."
Snow, an air quality chemist and SRU professor, came up with the idea for an air quality observatory after a weather tower on top of Vincent Science Hall on campus had to be moved because of renovations. While she tried to find a new place for the tower, she thought it would be a great addition to the university to be able to measure air quality as well.
Snow contacted the state Department of Environmental Protection and asked if the state would like to collaborate. The DEP agreed, and a contract was created last year.
Last week, equipment for the new observatory started coming in, and Snow hopes to have the structure built in the next six weeks. It should be fully functional by the end of the summer, she said.
"An air quality observatory is 10 feet by 10 feet, but inside, the building houses tons of instrumentation," Snow said. "The really interesting thing about this shelter is that we are going to be measuring the Environmental Protection Agency criteria pollutants, and those are the pollutants the EPA has designated as harmful to humans and the environment; things like ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides and particulate matter."
"That's a nice addition, and an SRU student will be hired to collect those," Snow said. "It was one of the reasons they were so interested because it allows them to measure air toxics, and we will still be able to measure meteorology."
Snow said the students need both aspects to understand the chemistry of the air.
The state DEP will spend $150,000 to measure carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide and other air toxins. SRU is building the site, and it will measure the ozone levels and particulate matter levels through a technology fee grant, Snow said.
She also said several departments at SRU will benefit from the new air quality observatory.
"It will be an educational facility for environmental science, meteorology and a number of different departments," Snow said. "It really helps the students in terms of jobs because they can say, 'I have experience using this equipment.'"
Chris Abbott, 28, of Slippery Rock, who is an environmental studies student, will help build the structure this summer.
"I am doing it for the field experience more than anything," Abbott said. "I really think it's a worthwhile venture to look into the air quality of northern Butler County, because, excepting Iron Mountain, SRU is the largest employer in the area, and with the fact that we are trying to make things better, we still walk out of the building and look at the smokestack."
Abbott said both students and residents could learn a lot from using the observatory.
"I think the community itself would benefit from the knowledge," Abbott said. "Any education you spread about changes that should occur would be beneficial to the community. We want to change the opinions of people who are making choices now."
Snow also said people in the community will benefit from knowing exactly what is in the air.
"Air quality impacts everyone on a daily basis, and a lot of people never think about it," Snow said. "This will be a way for people to look at what is happening with their air quality right outside their window, which I think is important for people to start thinking about."
