As Houston began making news as one of the most polluted cities in America, EIH and UHCL embraced the challenge of developing the Air Quality Education Initiative designed for area students and educators. The initiative included the installation of three ozone monitor stations and the development and delivery of air quality curriculum for area educators. The initiative began in 2003 as EIH installed ozone analyzers at three Clear Creek ISD (CCISD) high schools.  The real-time data from the monitors is transferred automatically to the TCEQ website (below). Recently, EIH/UHCL installed one particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and two metrological stations at two CCISD high schools to expand monitoring capabilities. Data from these sites have supported both UHCL student projects and CCISD science programs. Recent funding for the expanded network and education programs were provided through a gift from the Houston Endowment.

Current Ozone Levels for Houston-Galveston-Brazoria
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl?region12_cur.gif#map1

Clear Brook High School:
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/site_photo.pl?cams=570

Clear Lake High School:
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/site_photo.pl?cams=572

Clear Creek High School:
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/site_photo.pl?cams=571

EIH’s Air Quality Education Initiative assists both citizens and local air quality planners in at least three basic ways:

1. Allows an estimation of exposure of citizens to ozone levels. Students, such as school children, are among at-risk health populations for ozone exposure.
2. Allows for photochemical model performance verification. The photochemical model is the most valuable and trusted method of predicting changes in ozone levels when various ozone control strategies are in place and of forecasting the ozone levels in future years with and without control strategies. As such, verification of the model’s accuracy is very important to achieving successful regional air quality planning.
3. Allows public awareness of ozone levels and associated health risks where people work, live, and travel in the Houston/Galveston region. Moreover, the continued support of stations at area high schools within CCISD and the availability of air curriculum workshops for teachers will facilitate increased science education on air quality/pollution issues.

If you would like more information about this Initiative please contact Dr. Brenda Weiser, Director of Environmental Education: weiser@uhcl.edu, Dr. George Guillen, EIH Executive Director: guillen@uhcl.edu or Dr. Dennis Casserly, SCE Associate Professor at UHCL: casserly@uhcl.edu.