EDA: Air quality data

EDA's air quality section provides access to air monitoring and emissions data using these text- and/or map-based search and display tools:

• Point sources of pollution
• Emissions by county
• Information on specific pollutants
• Ambient Air Monitoring Data: Online access to ambient air monitoring data has been suspended. Please contact Kellie Gavin with requests for ambient air monitoring data.
• article k2:84}{link}>Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan{/link}{/article}. This report provides specific information on each of the MPCA’s existing and proposed air quality monitoring sites as well as data for several pollutants, summarized to show current conditions relative to State and Federal air quality standards. Also covered are the location of individual sites, monitoring objectives, and proposed changes.

Using these tools, users can:

• search for data and information about specific pollutants
• use an interactive map to search for data collected at active and inactive ambient air monitoring sites in Minnesota
• view pollutant emissions by source type, including the types and volumes of pollutants emitted by permitted facilities.

About the search tools

Text-based search tools allow users to enter one or more criteria to narrow their search results.

The tools for ambient monitoring stations, point sources of pollution and geographic location also have links to map-based search tools that allow users to find the same information using an interactive map.

The tool for viewing air emissions by county including area and mobile data allows users to view a state map with the county's color shaded with amounts of a selected a pollutant. Users may select and view county data. Tables at the bottom of each page display source categories and user may expand the tables to view sub-categories of pollutant sources.

For the best results when using the map-based tools, your computer should:

• Be using Internet Explorer 5.0 or later
• Have the screen resolution set at 1024 by 768 pixels
• Have pop-up blockers turned off

The search tool for information on specific pollutants allows users to learn about the properties and sources of chemicals and compounds that are monitored in the ambient air or emitted from facilities.

EDA: Air quality - Glossary

MPCA's online glossary offers more information for technical terms and key concepts, including these used to describe air quality.

• Ambient air quality 
• Air quality standards 
• Air toxics
• Area sources 
• Carbonyls
• Criteria air pollutants
• Dioxins
• Health benchmarks for air
• Health risk values
• Inorganics
• Mobile source
• Other organics
• Ozone-depleting substances
• Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
• Point source pollution

Downloading air quality data

Data from monitoring stations in Minnesota is available for download, on a station-by-station basis, by clicking on the appropriate link at the bottom of the station pages. Use the map-based search or text-based search to find a station, scroll down to find the "download station data" button located on the left side of the screen.

Minnesota point source emissions data is also available for download, on a facility-by-facility basis. Use the map-based search or text-based search to find a permitted facility, scroll down to find the "download station data" button located on the left side of the screen.

Monitoring or point source data can be downloaded in either a spreadsheet or comma-separated value format.