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
- Eight-hour ozone design values
- Four highest eight-hour ozone values from beginning of ozone season
- Running list of sites with exceedances from beginning of season
- Monthly number of exceedances, 2022 and 2023
- Daily maximum average eight-hour concentration for each site from beginning of season
- Map of Missouri's ozone monitoring sites
Technical issues can affect ability to deliver quality data. Access a table of symbols with explanation of the problems they represent.
- Ozone data in fourth and fifth columns
--"P" stands for primary monitor. "S" stands for secondary monitor. - Data from 10 days ago through current date
- Central Standard Time
- Concentrations of pollutant in parts per million (ppm)
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
- One-hour SO2 design values
- Four highest one-hour SO2 values year-to-date
- Map of monitoring sites
Technical issues can affect ability to deliver quality data. Access a table of symbols with explanation of the problems they represent.
- SO2 data in sixth column. Each day has three pages of data.
- Data from past 10 days through current date
- Central Standard Time
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
- One-hour NO2 design values
- Eight highest one-hour NO2 values, year-to-date
- Map of monitoring sites
Technical issues can affect ability to deliver quality data. Access a table of symbols with explanation of the problems they represent.
- Data in first column on second page. Each day has three pages of data.
- Data from past 10 days through current date
- Central Standard Time
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
- Annual PM2.5 design values
- 24-Hour PM2.5 design values
- Map of PM2.5 sites
Technical issues can affect ability to deliver quality data. Access a table of symbols with explanation of the problems they represent.
- PM2.5 data in sixth column of second page. Each day has three pages of data.
- Data from past 10 days through current date
- Central Standard Time
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
- Information about standard and monitoring
- Expected number of exceedance days in a year
- Map of PM10 monitoring stations
Technical issues can affect ability to deliver quality data. Access a table of symbols with explanation of the problems they represent.
- PM10 data on second page, sixth column. Each day has three pages of data.
- Data for past 10 days through current date
- Central Standard Time
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
Technical issues can affect ability to deliver quality data. Access a table of symbols with explanation of the problems they represent.
- Carbon monoxide data in third column of first page. Each day has three pages of data.
- Data from past 10 days through current date.
- Central Standard Time
3247 Blair St.
St. Louis, MO 63107
United States
Air Pollution Control Program
Division of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
United States