Addressing Data Harmonization Needs through an Air Quality Data Exchange (AQDx) Format
Emerging air monitoring technologies and an expanding air monitoring community provide a terrific opportunity for organizations to harness data for transformative and systemic change. However, the challenges in effectively transferring, integrating, and using air quality data from these emerging sources often stands in the way.
With too many data formats, parameter naming conventions, little consistency in time formatting, and various ways to indicate data quality, data are more expensive to manage, harder to exchange, and ultimately are not fully utilized.
Data exchange between organizations/systems through a common format that describes the data, its collection, and its quality.
Alongside partners at the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), we worked to address this growing need for data harmonization through a universal method that supports data exchange between organizations and their data management systems - the Air Quality Data Exchange (AQDx) format. And after thorough evaluation of existing data standards, interviews with subject matter experts, and a broad survey of key stakeholders, we’ve completed the first draft.
Built upon the AirNow AQCSV data standard, AQDx integrates data and metadata in a comma separated format to support successful data exchange of monitoring and laboratory sampling data. The format describes the data, its collection and quality, integrating measurements with unique identifiers (device and manufacturer IDs), standardized date and time, geographic coordinates, and additional metadata, such as data quality levels and standard method codes to support effective exchange across various user communities. Across the drafting process, key stakeholders were involved from government, academia, industry, manufacturers, consulting, and community-based organizations, providing crucial feedback in the development of the data standard.
The AQDx format is a solution to address the growing challenges associated with air quality data use and exchange, and it has been a compelling project to to have worked on in collaboration with CDPHE and EPA.
With the draft standard completed, CDPHE is leading the next stages of the project, disseminating the AQDx format and gathering more feedback from stakeholders. They are leading a working group with EPA, and partners from other air agencies to support format revisions and to inform development of supporting documentation and tools.
If you’re interested in AQDx or other Data Management topics, reach out to us.
