California Launches Innovative Mobile Monitoring Initiative for Air Quality Studies
In June of 2025, California embarked on a transformative journey with the launch of its pioneering Statewide Mobile Monitoring Initiative (SMMI). This ambitious program utilizes Aclima's fleet of specialized vehicles designed to monitor air quality on a hyper-local scale. By gathering data block-by-block, these mobile labs target regions heavily affected by pollution, providing communities with crucial insights into their air quality. The extent of the project is impressive, as it covers thousands of miles and reaches millions of residents, aiming to help local communities understand and combat air quality disparities effectively.
With the deployment of the Targeted Area Studies and Partner Mobile Labs, the initiative is entering its next phase. This collaboration involves prestigious research teams from Aerodyne, UC Berkeley, and UC Riverside, enhancing the initiative's comprehensive monitoring efforts by providing detailed data to complement the broader area assessments. Many communities raised concerns about pollution sources affecting their health and environment, including emissions from nearby airports, industries, and landfills. The new studies will specifically address these issues by offering in-depth information tailored to each community’s unique air quality challenges.
“The deployment of the Targeted Area Studies represents science and community working hand in hand to measure air pollutants and toxics that impact people's health and quality of life,” said Davida Herzl, CEO and co-founder of Aclima. She emphasized the importance of empirical data, stating, “What gets measured becomes actionable.” This collaborative effort aims to ensure that sophisticated mobile monitoring data is not only compiled but also made available to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the residents in some of the state’s most pollution-burdened neighborhoods.
Each of the SMMI's 64 communities will engage in one- or two-week Targeted Area Studies over the forthcoming months, marking a significant advancement in air quality characterization at this level of detail. The Partner Mobile Labs will be dispatched to 37 selected communities, each equipped to detect specific pollutants prevalent in their areas. While the larger monitoring program assesses 10 core pollutants such as fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the targeted studies will gain depth by incorporating numerous additional pollutants, including various metals and VOCs analytic breakdowns.
In areas where Partner Mobile Labs aren’t deployed, Aclima vehicles will still undertake the Targeted Area Studies, focusing on real-time data collection about specific pollution sources. These vehicles, operating with increased frequency compared to standard monitoring, aim to provide a continuous data stream, offering a more nuanced picture of air quality patterns and sources of pollution.
To facilitate these studies, individual Community Air Monitoring Plans (CAMPs) have been established with input from over 40 community organizations throughout the state. This participatory approach underlines the program's commitment to local engagement and responsiveness to the unique needs of each community. The results from the Targeted Area Studies are anticipated to be made available to the public alongside data from the broader monitoring efforts by the summer of 2026. This data will be instrumental for various stakeholders, including CARB, local air districts, and advocates in informing future regulations, academic research, and potential grant applications like the Community Air Grants Program.
Aclima, the driving force behind this initiative, is leading the charge in advanced air quality measurement, employing an innovative hardware-software platform that synthesizes billions of measurements from its array of sensing vehicles into actionable insights for citizens, officials, and environmental advocates. Recognized as a Public Benefit Corporation and based in San Francisco, Aclima is dedicated to protecting public health, reducing emissions, and ensuring clean air accessibility for all.
In addition to the air monitoring initiative, Aclima is also a significant player in the wider California Climate Investments (CCI) program. CCI leverages significant Cap-and-Trade funds to support efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, boosting the economy, and enhancing public health—particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. Through SMMI and its related programs, California is setting an example for innovative, data-driven solutions to tackle pressing environmental challenges, and Aclima is at the forefront of this movement, demonstrating how science can empower communities in their fight against air pollution and health disparities.
With the deployment of the Targeted Area Studies and Partner Mobile Labs, the initiative is entering its next phase. This collaboration involves prestigious research teams from Aerodyne, UC Berkeley, and UC Riverside, enhancing the initiative's comprehensive monitoring efforts by providing detailed data to complement the broader area assessments. Many communities raised concerns about pollution sources affecting their health and environment, including emissions from nearby airports, industries, and landfills. The new studies will specifically address these issues by offering in-depth information tailored to each community’s unique air quality challenges.
“The deployment of the Targeted Area Studies represents science and community working hand in hand to measure air pollutants and toxics that impact people's health and quality of life,” said Davida Herzl, CEO and co-founder of Aclima. She emphasized the importance of empirical data, stating, “What gets measured becomes actionable.” This collaborative effort aims to ensure that sophisticated mobile monitoring data is not only compiled but also made available to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the residents in some of the state’s most pollution-burdened neighborhoods.
Each of the SMMI's 64 communities will engage in one- or two-week Targeted Area Studies over the forthcoming months, marking a significant advancement in air quality characterization at this level of detail. The Partner Mobile Labs will be dispatched to 37 selected communities, each equipped to detect specific pollutants prevalent in their areas. While the larger monitoring program assesses 10 core pollutants such as fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the targeted studies will gain depth by incorporating numerous additional pollutants, including various metals and VOCs analytic breakdowns.
In areas where Partner Mobile Labs aren’t deployed, Aclima vehicles will still undertake the Targeted Area Studies, focusing on real-time data collection about specific pollution sources. These vehicles, operating with increased frequency compared to standard monitoring, aim to provide a continuous data stream, offering a more nuanced picture of air quality patterns and sources of pollution.
To facilitate these studies, individual Community Air Monitoring Plans (CAMPs) have been established with input from over 40 community organizations throughout the state. This participatory approach underlines the program's commitment to local engagement and responsiveness to the unique needs of each community. The results from the Targeted Area Studies are anticipated to be made available to the public alongside data from the broader monitoring efforts by the summer of 2026. This data will be instrumental for various stakeholders, including CARB, local air districts, and advocates in informing future regulations, academic research, and potential grant applications like the Community Air Grants Program.
Aclima, the driving force behind this initiative, is leading the charge in advanced air quality measurement, employing an innovative hardware-software platform that synthesizes billions of measurements from its array of sensing vehicles into actionable insights for citizens, officials, and environmental advocates. Recognized as a Public Benefit Corporation and based in San Francisco, Aclima is dedicated to protecting public health, reducing emissions, and ensuring clean air accessibility for all.
In addition to the air monitoring initiative, Aclima is also a significant player in the wider California Climate Investments (CCI) program. CCI leverages significant Cap-and-Trade funds to support efforts aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, boosting the economy, and enhancing public health—particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. Through SMMI and its related programs, California is setting an example for innovative, data-driven solutions to tackle pressing environmental challenges, and Aclima is at the forefront of this movement, demonstrating how science can empower communities in their fight against air pollution and health disparities.
Topics Environment）
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