NMED's Mobile Air Quality Monitoring Trailer

The New Mexico Environment Department’s Air Quality Bureau Monitoring Section has built a Monitoring Trailer with ambient air monitoring, calibrating, data logging and communications equipment that can be deployed throughout the state with short notice. It can be hauled to a site and plugged in to existing line power and, after a few hours of equipment calibration, valid air quality data can be collected and transmitted to Air Quality Bureau staff. Other electrical options are also possible for the trailer; a propane generator can be used for short term projects or an electrical meter can be connected to the mains for longer engagements.

Air Monitoring Trailer in Vado, NM

The trailer contains the following air monitors that collect data in real time and report data hourly:

• Fine Particulate Matter (PM_2.5 )
• Ozone (O₃)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂) and other Oxides of Nitrogen (NO_x)
• Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Wind Speed
• Wind Direction

The trailer communicates by cellular modem and data can be immediately posted to the NMED Air Monitoring Website at http://air.state.nm.us and made available to the public and to the Department’s air regulators. The most recently collected data from the monitoring trailer can be accessed by Clicking on the Navigation Bar links for Monitoring Stations. Select the "MOBILE" region and then click the "Air Monitoring Trailer" link (or click here.)

The trailer is currently operational in Vado, NM near the intersection of Holguin Road and Vado Drive (link to trailer location in Vado.) The deployment at Vado began in February, 2008.

To demonstrate the capabilities of the Bureau’s Air Monitoring Trailer a demonstration tour was conducted throughout the state. NMED deployed the trailer at 12 different locations for two week intervals. NMED has partnered with the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) for this demonstration deployment. NMDOT has agreed to allow NMED to locate the trailer at a number of vehicle patrol yards throughout the state. These yards may be close to permitted sources of pollution or they may be close to the cities and towns of the state. Thanks to the NMDOT staff and District and Assistant District Engineers for their assistance with this project.

Air Monitoring Trailer on the road

As a part of the demonstration tour, the Air Monitoring Trailer traveled to to twelve locations around the state and the dates of the the trailer's recent stops are listed in the table below.

Note that the air quality data that is collected from the trailer is all stored in one place in our air monitoring system and it is necessary to refer to the table above to find out where the trailer was located on certain dates before creating a report at this website.

For questions on this project, please contact Terry Hertel at 505-955-8067 or Terry.Hertel@state.nm.us