The BNCARE (Bloomington-Normal Community Air Research & Education) project brings local organizations, researchers, and residents together to better understand the air we breathe. Through neighborhood air monitoring, public education, and community partnerships, BNCARE collects real-time data on key pollutants and… Read more2025 Stakeholder Report
The BNCARE team has been asked – how do fireworks impact air quality in our community? BNCARE Quality Assurance Manager, Dr. LC Yang, analyzed our air quality data from July 4, 2025 to come up with this response. PM2.5 levels… Read moreIndependence Day Fireworks Air Quality Evaluation
Bloomington-Normal’s summer season started on a hazy note, as multiple air quality events affected the area. These included the mid May dust storms, and multiple days of wildfire smoke drifting down from Canada in the beginning of June. With these… Read moreBNCARE announces Air Quality Monitoring Workshop
Who’s ready to learn about air quality AND learn how to test for various pollutants in the air? Please join the Bloomington-Normal Community Air Research and Education team at the Ecology Action Center to get hands-on training with our portable air… Read moreAir Quality Monitoring Training: July 21, 2025 (5:30-7:00 P.M.)
Wildfires are an essential natural process that promotes healthy forested ecosystems through processes such as the reduction of invasive species and allowing the regeneration of local flora and fauna. Wildfire season typically starts in spring and extends through fall, but… Read moreWildfires, Air Quality, and Climate Change
For immediate release: June 5, 2025 Contact: Michael Brown 309-454-3169 x.11 Due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, air quality in the Bloomington-Normal area has reached unhealthy levels, with an air quality index (AQI) of 156 on the Southwest Side of… Read moreBloomington Normal Community Air Research and Education (BNCARE) issues Air Quality Index alert due to smoke from Canadian Wildfires