ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
DIVISION
The Environmental Health Division monitors Iowa’s air, water and soil through analytical testing mandated by the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Environmental scientists test for contaminants of public health concern and respond to environmental and natural disasters, such as compromised water supplies due to chemical spills and flooding.

Ambient Air Quality

The Ambient Air Quality section provides technical expertise, equipment calibration and maintenance for monitors that sample and analyze Iowa’s ambient air quality. These monitors – along with monitors maintained in public health departments by Linn and Polk counties – form an air quality surveillance network covering all the major population and industrial centers in Iowa. Data from more than 100 monitors in 16 Iowa counties is available in the Ambient Air section of the Hygienic Laboratory’s website. This real-time data provides concentration information about many pollutants in Iowa’s air. Many of Iowa’s air quality monitors have been active for over two decades.

Major achievements:

  • In fiscal year 2014, the section serviced more than 100 air monitors in 16 Iowa counties, including background sites in less populated areas.
  • Carbonyl monitoring was added to the Clinton Chancy Park and Muscatine Musser Park sites.