The Blair Street air monitoring station measures air quality in the north central area of St. Louis. It is also part of the National Core (NCore) network, which measures multiple air quality and meteorological parameters to provide data to determine compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), for health effects and other scientific studies, for evaluation of mathematical air quality models, for public information, and for other purposes. 

The Blair Street station is part of the National Chemical Speciation Network (CSN), which measures the different organic and inorganic chemical species that contribute to airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5).

The Blair Street station is also part of the National Air Toxics Trends Stations (NATTS) network, which is intended to measure long-term trends in hazardous air pollutants or air toxics and to provide air toxics data for various scientific studies. NATTS measurements include collection of samples that are analyzed for volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, carbonyls, and metallic elements. NATTS measurements also include measurement and reporting of hourly average airborne black carbon. 

The Blair Street station is also a Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Station (PAMS) site. The PAMS sites monitor ozone precursors and meteorological measurements in order to strengthen ozone model development and to track trends in what could be forming the ground level ozone. 

Pollutants

Ozone Pollutant

The primary National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone is 0.070 parts per million averaged over eight hours (annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour concentration, averaged over three years). The federal ozone season for monitoring runs from March 1 to Oct. 31.

Departmental information about ozone (O3)

  • Description
  • Health effects
  • Tips to reduce ozone
  • 2008 and 2015 standards plus related documents

Sulfur Dioxide

EPA not only established a new one-hour standard in 2010, but it also introduced a new form for determining compliance. The new form requires three years of data — the average SO2 concentration from each hour of the year. The department and EPA calculate the design value, using the 99th percentile of one-hour daily maximum concentrations, averaged over three years.

Departmental information about sulfur dioxide (SO2)

  • Description
  • 2010 standard and related documents

Nitrogen Dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide is a foul-smelling gas. It comes primarily from the burning of fossil fuels — coal, oil and gas. NO2combines with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the presence of sunlight and heat to create ozone. (VOCs are compounds with carbon that easily become vapors or gases.)

In 2010, EPA revised the one-hour NO2 standard to 100 parts per billion. An area is in compliance if the design value is at or below the standard. The one-hour standard is based on a three-year design value, which is calculated by taking the 98th percentile of the daily high one-hour average concentrations recorded each year, for three years, and averaging the three years together. The annual standard of 0.053 parts per million is based on the annual arithmetic mean and is not to be exceeded.

Departmental information about nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

  • 2010 standard and related documents

Fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5)

Departmental information about particulate matter (PM)

  • Description of two groups of particulate matter: PM2.5 and PM10
  • 1997, 2006 and 2012 standards for PM2.5 plus related documents
  • 2006 PM10 standard and pertinent documents

Particulate Matter (PM 10)

Departmental information about particulate matter (PM)

  • Description of two groups of particulate matter: PM2.5 and PM10
  • 1997, 2006 and 2012 standards for PM2.5 plus related documents
  • 2006 PM10 standard and pertinent documents

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide has no color, taste or odor. It comes from the incomplete combustion of fuels with carbon, such as oil, coal, wood, gasoline and natural gas. Vehicle emissions account for the largest source. Breathing air with high concentrations of CO can result in multiple health effects.

Since 1971, EPA has maintained two standards for carbon monoxide. The eight-hour standard stands at nine parts per million, and the one-hour standard stands at 35 parts per million. If design values are at or below the standard, then an area is in compliance. Design values correspond to an annual average of eight-hour concentrations and one-hour concentrations. 

Departmental information about carbon monoxide (CO)

  • 1971 standard and related document
Blair Street NCore Air Monitoring Site
Address

3247 Blair St.
St. Louis, MO 63107
United States

EPA Site ID
29-510-0085
County
St. Louis (city)
Date Established
Pollutants Monitored
Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen Dioxide
Ozone
Particulate Matter
Sulfur Dioxide
Latitude/Longitude
38.656449, -90.198548