ANSONIA – DERBY – The Naugatuck Valley Health District is asking for businesses and residents to help learn more about air quality throughout the region.

According to a press release, the organization is looking for volunteers in Ansonia and Derby to install outdoor air quality sensors throughout in an effort to gather more health data over the next year.

Organizations and people who take part will receive the sensors free of charge. After the data collection period ends, volunteers will become eligible to receive a $120 Visa gift card.

The health district is looking for a total of 35 volunteer host locations to participate.

The data will help researchers learn more about the impacts air quality has on residents of Ansonia and Derby.

The sensors work by taking in air and measuring particulate matter, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines as “a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.”

Those particles, which include dust and soot, can be visible to the naked eye, but they can also be smaller than human hairs. They have been linked to health problems including asthma, and heart and lung issues.

Both Ansonia and Derby have above-average rates of asthma compared to the rest of Connecticut, according to state health data.

Readings from the sensors will be shared to a publicly available database, which you can access here.

To participate, you must have an outdoor space where you can place the sensor, access to an outdoor outlet, WiFi internet connectivity, and the ability to authorize access to the monitor if it needs maintenance. The air sensor draws about one watt of power, the district’s press release says.

Funding for the program comes from grants from the EPA, as well as the state Department of Public Health, Yale University, the University of Connecticut, and the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center.

If you’re interested in participating, you can sign up at this link. You can also contact John Mucha at the Naugatuck Valley Health District at jmucha@nvhd.org or 203-881-3255 (extension 112).

The flyer below contains more information from the health district.