Reporting Outdoor Air Quality in Real-Time: More about the data

Table 1: Percentage of Monitoring Stations Reporting Air Quality Data in Real-Time*

*Indicator is based on Alberta Environment and airshed monitoring stations and does not include stations operated by private industry.

The monitoring stations summarized in the table above are owned and operated by Alberta Environment and the airshed organizations. Airshed zones are managed by these locally driven, multi-stakeholder, consensus-based organizations that seek to improve air quality by addressing regional issues and by implementing air monitoring systems. Currently, there are nine airshed zones in Alberta. These are the:

• West Central Airshed Society (WCAS)
• Wood Buffalo Environmental Association (WBEA)
• Parkland Airshed Management Zone (PAMZ)
• Fort Air Partnership (FAP)
• Peace Airshed Zone Association (PAZA)
• Palliser Airshed Society
• Lakeland Industry and Community Association (LICA)
• Calgary Regional Airshed Zone (CRAZ)
• Alberta Capital Airshed Alliance (ACAA)

In 2007 there were 49 continuous outdoor air quality stations that provided data on an hourly basis. Forty-eight, or 98% of these stations, provided data in real time to the public through the Internet. Real-time air quality data is available on Alberta Environment's website, or from the airshed zone websites.