Scientists in Wisconsin study how air quality relates to health across the state. They use three types of air quality monitoring: ground-based monitors, satellite observations, and computer models, to understand how pollution varies over time and place. These tools help researchers compare patterns observed in larger cities like Milwaukee and Madison with smaller cities and rural areas.

The map above shows ozone levels measured over the last three years (2021–2023) at different monitoring sites.

Wisconsin tracks air quality across cities, small towns, farming areas, forests, and tribal lands. The state’s monitoring network places instruments in different locations to measure specific pollutants and fill gaps in the data landscape.

The map above shows annual fine particle (PM₂.₅) levels from 2021–2023 at each monitoring site. This helps researchers see how particle pollution differs across regions.

Scientists are seeing patterns linked to highways, industrial areas, farming activity, and air moving across state lines. In recent years, wildfire smoke from other states and Canada has also become an important factor, since smoke can travel long distances and affect air quality far from the fire. Future studies aim to better understand where these patterns occur and how they may affect nearby communities.