New windblown dust monitoring tool to track Coachella Valley air quality

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) - A multimillion dollar project tracking windblown dust hopes to target the Coachella Valley's poor air quality.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District and CVAG showcased the new tool, PI-SWERL, or Portable In-Situ Wind Laboratory, at UC Riverside's Palm Desert campus Friday.

Officials say the equipment will sample Coachella Valley dust conditions by showing how quickly the particulates can become airborne.

"It essentially creates a tiny little dust storm inside the cylinder. As that dust storm is being created, we're keeping track of how strong the winds are, how much dust is being created, and as those winds continue to increase, how much more dust are we producing?" Amato Evan, a professor at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego, said.

Evan says that dust data will then be tracked through air sensors to nail down which communities are most impacted.

"What we can do is figure out what areas are producing the most dust and also, what areas are producing dust that is impacting the community the most," Evan said.

It's apart of a $3 million project spanning two years, with an increase of 7 air sensors and focus on public health.

"People that are exposed to a lot of dust are definitely vulnerable, but also people that are in these sensitive groups. So that's, children, older adults, pregnant women and people that have pre-existing heart and lung issues," Scott Epstein with South Coast AQMD said.

Scientists say they'll monitor sites spanning from the Whitewater Pass, Cathedral City to Salton Sea.

They expect preliminary data soon and should be able to take mitigation efforts. Officials say that can include planting vegetation, fences, and spraying surfactants on the soil to prevent blowing dust.