Kiera Jefferson
Chicago's air quality has been deemed unhealthy by EPA standards, with the city's ozone levels being a particular cause for concern. The city's suburbanization and reliance on motor vehicles have led to increased transport emissions, which contribute to the formation of ozone and fine particulate matter pollution. To address these issues, Chicago has implemented various initiatives, such as promoting alternative fuels, the Diesel Retrofit Program, and encouraging biking as a mode of commuting. Additionally, the city has passed an Air Quality Ordinance to regulate air pollution from industrial operations and construction projects. For those interested in monitoring Chicago's air pollution levels, there are several real-time air quality plugins and widgets available for download on different platforms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Real-time air pollution levels | Available on maps and through the API |
| Chicago Air Quality Chrome plugin | https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/world-air-quality-index/hhhfnanaabgcafkmlplbifbhknnbmidl |
| Chicago Air Quality Firefox plugin | https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/aqicn/ |
| Chicago Air Quality Widget for Windows Mobile 8 or 8.1 | www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/asia-air-quality/f3828278-b7a9-4e5f-9936-95a2e9b2db18 |
| Chicago Air Quality Widget for Symbian device | Download "ChicagoAir.wgz" |
| Chicago Air Quality Widget for Windows Desktop | Download "Chicago.gadget" |
| Air Quality and Health Report | Available on the City of Chicago website |
| Air Quality and Health Index Indicator Values | Complete list of all indicator values, geographic levels, index score and rank, intermediate calculated variables and ranks |
| Air Quality and Health Index Indicator Description | Lists year of estimate, references for data sources and methods, and exclusion criteria |
| Air Quality and Health Index Indicator Value Distribution | Describes distribution of values and summary statistics for each indicator |
| Air Quality Ordinance | Regulates the construction and expansion of facilities that create air pollution; requires formal City review and public engagement |
| Air quality impact study | Models potential emissions from businesses and their operations; uses air modeling software such as U.S. EPA’s AERMOD and EPA MOVES |
| Public review and comment | Opportunities provided by CDOT and CDPH; joint recommendation provided to the City of Chicago’s Zoning Administrator |
| Community meeting requirements | Business must host or co-host a neighborhood meeting in the ward where the project is proposed |
| Air Quality Chicago Report | Uses community science to reduce pollution and protect public health |
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What You'll Learn
Real-time air pollution levels
For Windows users, there is the option to download the "Chicago.gadget" widget, which provides real-time air quality data for Chicago. This widget can be installed on Windows Desktop, Windows Mobile 8 or 8.1, and Symbian devices.
Additionally, websites like AccuWeather and IQAir provide real-time air quality data for Chicago. AccuWeather sources its data from Plume Labs and offers current index, forecast, daily, and hourly air quality information. IQAir presents real-time, historical, and forecast data for Chicago, including PM2.5 levels and weather information.
While Chicago has made significant improvements in air quality, it continues to face challenges. Transport emissions, for instance, have been on the rise, contributing to the increase in pollutants like ozone and nitrogen oxides. Warmer temperatures due to climate change have also exacerbated the problem, as ozone formation is more prevalent in higher temperatures. Despite these issues, Chicago has implemented various initiatives to improve air quality, such as promoting biking, encouraging alternative fuels, and implementing the Diesel Retrofit Program.
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Air quality impact studies
Air Quality Monitoring: Real-time air quality monitoring in Chicago provides data on various pollutants, including PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), PM10 (respirable particulate matter), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), SO2 (sulfur dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide), and O3 (ozone). This monitoring helps create air quality maps and indexes, such as the Air Quality Index (AQI), which is calculated using standards from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Sources of Pollution: Chicago's air pollution has multiple sources, including transportation, domestic heating, and industrial activities. Transportation emissions, particularly from diesel vehicles, contribute significantly to the city's air pollution. Diesel transport, passenger vehicles, industry, and winter wood burning are the primary sources of PM2.5 emissions. Temperature inversions, caused by the city's location on the shore of Lake Michigan, further exacerbate the pollution problem by trapping cool surface-level air under a warmer air layer, hindering normal pollution dispersion.
Health Impacts: Air pollution in Chicago has been deemed "unhealthy" by EPA standards, particularly for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with pre-existing cardiovascular or respiratory conditions. High levels of ozone, a key component of smog, pose significant health risks. In 2019, Chicago exceeded the allowed number of unhealthy air pollution days by a significant margin, earning a rating of 'nonattainment' by the US EPA. The State of the Air report from the American Lung Association gave Cook County an 'F' rating for ozone levels.
Initiatives for Improvement: Chicago has implemented several initiatives to improve air quality, including promoting biking as a mode of commuting, encouraging the use of alternative fuels, implementing the Diesel Retrofit Program, reducing idling time for diesel vehicles, and providing incentives for electric vehicles. These efforts aim to reduce emissions and improve air quality for the city's residents.
Long-term Trends and Variability: Air quality impact studies also consider long-term trends and variability in pollution levels. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chicago experienced only a minor improvement in air quality compared to previous years, suggesting that diesel truck and train activity, which remained consistent during the lockdown, significantly contributes to the city's air pollution.
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Community science initiatives
The Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) has been monitoring air quality in Chicago since 2013, working with community partners to address particulate pollution in the area. This community science program has involved working with over 30 organizations, schools, and community groups to gather data and help people understand the pollution in their neighborhoods.
The City of Chicago has also implemented several initiatives to address pollution and its effects on the community. The Environmental Equity Working Group (EEWG), established in 2021, is a collaborative space for community representatives, environmental leaders, and local partners to advise on the City's environmental initiatives. The Office of Climate and Environmental Equity (OCEE) was set up in 2023 to provide an integrated approach to environmental leadership through policy development and coordination.
Chicago's Cumulative Impact Assessment, released in September 2023, is a citywide project that provides data on how environmental burdens vary across the city. It identifies neighborhoods that experience the greatest impacts of pollution and provides strategies and policy recommendations to address these issues. The City also released its second Chicago EJ Action Plan Report in December 2024, which outlines specific, actionable policy changes to address environmental justice issues.
The City of Chicago has also implemented initiatives to improve air quality, such as promoting biking, alternative fuels, and electric vehicles, as well as programs to reduce idling and emissions from diesel vehicles and large recycling facilities.
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Clean air efforts
Chicago has a long history of unhealthy air pollution, dating back to the city's industrialization in the late nineteenth century. At that time, the city relied on dirty coal, which produced a dense toxic cloud of soot that led to increased instances of pneumonia, asthma, and heart and lung diseases. Despite a long-term trend of improving air quality in Chicago, recent years show a worsening trend, with particle pollution nearly doubling between 2017 and 2019.
The city has implemented various clean air efforts to combat this issue. These include initiatives such as increasing the accessibility and attractiveness of biking for commuting by maintaining 117 miles of on-street bike lanes. They are also promoting alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas, E85, propane, and biodiesel, as cleaner alternatives to traditional gasoline. The Diesel Retrofit Program includes new clean diesel requirements, and the city is working to reduce idling in diesel vehicles by limiting diesel trucks to three minutes of idling within a sixty-minute period.
To support the transition to electric vehicles, Chicago provides charging locations for electric vehicle owners and offers incentives for purchasing them. The city is also addressing the permitting and inspection of high-emitting industries. In addition, the Air Quality Ordinance, approved by the City Council in March 2021, regulates the construction and expansion of facilities that create air pollution. It requires a formal city review process and expands public engagement opportunities related to zoning, public health, and transportation implications of intensive manufacturing and industrial operations.
Despite these efforts, Chicago still faces challenges with air pollution, particularly from transport emissions and the rise of pollutants like nitrogen oxides and reactive organic substances, which contribute to the formation of ozone—another pollutant of concern, especially during warmer temperatures.
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Air quality monitoring tools
Chicago has a long history of unhealthy air pollution, dating back to the city's industrialization in the late nineteenth century. The city once relied on dirty coal, which coated the city in a dense toxic cloud and led to increased instances of pneumonia, asthma, and heart and lung diseases. While significant improvements have been made, air pollution levels in Chicago remain "unhealthy" by EPA standards.
There are several air quality monitoring tools available to keep track of the air quality in Chicago. One source is AirNow.gov, which provides air quality data for local, state, national, and world views. Another source is the World Air Quality Index Project, which provides real-time air pollution levels for over 100 countries. They also offer a downloadable plugin for Chrome and Firefox browsers, as well as a downloadable gadget for Windows Mobile 8 or 8.1 and Symbian devices. IQAir is another source that provides real-time, historical, and forecast PM2.5 and weather data for Chicago.
To contribute to air quality data in your city, you can purchase an air quality monitor such as the GAIA monitor. This device requires a WiFi access point and a USB-compatible power supply. Once connected, it provides real-time air pollution levels for your area.
It is important to monitor real-time and forecast data to address ever-changing pollution levels and take any necessary actions to improve air quality.
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Frequently asked questions
You can access real-time air pollution levels in Chicago through the Air Quality Index (AQI). This information is available via the Chrome and Firefox stores, or you can download the relevant plugin or add-on files.
The Air Quality Ordinance was approved by the Chicago City Council in March 2021. It regulates the construction and expansion of facilities that create air pollution. It requires a formal city review process and encourages public engagement on the zoning, health, and transportation implications of intensive manufacturing and industrial operations.
The Air Quality Ordinance includes provisions for public review and comment on traffic and air quality studies. You can direct questions about the ordinance to [email protected].
Chicago's air quality is currently rated as "Good" by the Air Quality Index (AQI). However, it is important to monitor real-time and forecast data, as pollution levels can vary.
The City of Chicago has implemented several initiatives to improve air quality, including promoting biking as a mode of transportation, encouraging the use of alternative fuels, implementing the Diesel Retrofit Program, reducing idling time for diesel vehicles, and providing incentives for electric vehicles.
