Affiliate Spotlight: MPCA Community Air Quality Filter Making Workshop

As wildfire smoke from northern Minnesota and Canada blanketed parts of the state in July, communities across Minnesota experienced days of unhealthy air quality. Air quality alerts were issued as fine particle pollution reached levels that became a health hazard, especially for children, older adults, and people with asthma, heart disease, or other respiratory conditions. It was against this backdrop that members of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Community Air Quality Team came together to take action.

On July 22 the MPCA Community Air Quality Team hosted a hands-on workshop at Liberty Church, where high school students and community partners worked alongside to build eight air filter units. The event not only taught participants how to create affordable, effective air filtration units, but also provided an opportunity to learn about air quality, wildfire smoke, and practical ways to reduce indoor exposure.

After assembling the filters, participants tested and evaluated how well the units performed. The newly built air filters were then distributed to community members, helping provide an additional layer of protection during a time when wildfire smoke was affecting air quality across the region. Participants gained practical skills while contributing directly to the health and well-being of their neighbors and members of their community.

The "Clean Air For All" air monitoring pilot project is a collaboration with Dr. Alika Galloway, CEO of the 21st Century Academy; Dr. Brent Williams, Professor with UMN Department of Soil, Water, and Climate; Drs. Nathan Meyer and Kent Boyd of UMN’s Climate Adaptation Partnership, and Teddie Potter, UMN School of Nursing Professor and a community-engaged research expert.  Makeda Zulu, Senior Director for Community Partnerships is serving as the Principal Investigator for the Minnesota Pollution and Control Agency funded-initiative.