The Kansas City, Missouri, ground level ozone (GLO) project: A community-based field experiment to characterize spatial gradients of air pollution

The Kansas City Ground Level Ozone (GLO) project was conducted during summer 2005 (July 3-August 18) to collect detailed air quality observations using Passive Sampling Devices (PSD's). This study was designed to characterize urban air quality and citizen exposure levels at the ZIP code level using a community-based participatory research model. Volunteers from neighborhoods within the study area hosted the PSDs on their properties, monitored the devices and assisted with data collection from 20 sites located within and near the urban core of Kansas City, MO. Samples were collected weekly for seven weeks, and daily for two weeks. One site was co-located with a continuous ozone monitor maintained by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis of the field data was employed to explore relationships between transportation corridors and pollution point sources with the measured ozone concentration levels. The implications for community ozone exposure risks are discussed.