Correction factor

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Hi, PurpleAir community,

I’m using PurpleAir in Tucson, Arizona. There are no known woodsmoke or wildfire smoke sources that contribute to air pollution in the city, and the primary source of air pollution is traffic.
I would like to know the best correction factor that I can use in this case is?

Thank you
Muath

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I can’t answer your question, but I just feel the need to tell you how lucky you are that you don’t have wood smoke to pollute the air you breathe over there! In the country where I live (Greece) wood smoke has become a plague that will be very difficult to eradicate once the authorities will finally recognize its danger. The whole country literally stinks of wood smoke in winter due to domestic heating, while in summer wildfires are becoming more and more frequent and big. It’s so sad for our health… So enjoy your air over there!

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Hi @moath00, there wouldn’t be an exact conversion factor that you should choose in this situation. All of the conversion factors were created by individual organizations that believe their conversion factors more accurately represent the air quality. Many of them are used by those organizations for not only displaying wildfire smoke but in other conditions as well.

You can read more about the conversion factors in this community post: The "Apply Conversion" Field. One of the most important things we recommend is that you stay consistent, as the change in a number can be just as significant as the number itself. Research the organizations and look at which conversion factor you believe most accurately represents the air quality in your area.

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Agreed. There are many studies showing the negative health effects of wood smoke. I’ve included a few links below, for recent studies.

A neighbor only heats his house with wood (versus natural gas for everyone else). When the winds are out of his direction, or worse “light and variable”, my meters spike high for extended time periods.

Robert

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