# EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Data Scraper (`compute-edge/epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper`) Actor Scrape EPA AQS air quality monitoring data — PM2.5, ozone, SO2, NO2, CO daily readings with AQI scores from 4,000+ US monitoring stations. Free API key required. - **URL**: https://apify.com/compute-edge/epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [Compute Edge](https://apify.com/compute-edge) (community) - **Categories:** Lead generation - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing from $3.00 / 1,000 results This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Data Scraper **Extract official EPA air quality monitoring data** — PM2.5, ozone, SO2, NO2, CO, and other pollutant readings from 4,000+ monitoring stations across the United States. Powered by the EPA's Air Quality System (AQS) Data Mart API, every record includes a daily AQI score, geographic coordinates, county/state identifiers, and observation statistics. This Actor is an ideal data pipeline for **ESG compliance teams**, **real estate developers** doing environmental due diligence, **industrial site selectors**, **public health researchers**, **HVAC and air-purifier companies** targeting high-pollution regions, and **environmental journalists**. ### What This Actor Does The EPA AQS Data Mart API is the authoritative source for historical and near-real-time U.S. air quality data, maintained under regulatory obligation by the Environmental Protection Agency. This Actor wraps the `/dailyData/byState` endpoint, giving you structured JSON records you can pipe directly into analytics platforms, RAG pipelines, or spreadsheets. #### Key Features - **Official EPA data** — sourced from the EPA AQS Data Mart, not a third-party aggregator - **All six NAAQS criteria pollutants** — PM2.5, PM10, ozone, SO2, NO2, CO, and lead - **Daily AQI scores** — ready-to-use Air Quality Index values per monitoring site per day - **Rich geographic context** — monitoring site name, county, state, latitude/longitude, CBSA name - **Flexible date ranges** — query any period from the 1980s to today - **Batch output** — handles large date windows efficiently, respects `maxResults` cap - **Free API key** — EPA registration is free and instant (no approval wait) - **Graceful no-key behavior** — with no credentials, the Actor emits an informational record with signup instructions so your pipeline never errors silently #### Output Fields (per monitoring record) | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `dateLocal` | Date of the reading (YYYY-MM-DD) | | `siteName` | Name of the EPA monitoring site | | `countyName` | County name | | `stateName` | Full state name | | `stateCode` | 2-digit FIPS state code | | `latitude` | Monitoring site latitude | | `longitude` | Monitoring site longitude | | `parameterName` | Pollutant name (e.g., "PM2.5 - Local Conditions") | | `parameterCode` | AQS parameter code (e.g., 88101) | | `arithmeticMean` | Daily arithmetic mean concentration | | `firstMaxValue` | Daily maximum value | | `aqi` | Air Quality Index score | | `unitsOfMeasure` | Measurement units (e.g., "Micrograms/cubic meter (LC)") | | `observationCount` | Number of hourly observations that day | | `observationPercentComplete` | % of expected observations that were valid | | `sampleDuration` | Sampling duration (e.g., "24 HOUR") | | `pollutantStandard` | Applicable NAAQS standard | | `cityName` | City name | | `cbsaName` | Core Based Statistical Area name | | `addressLine` | Street address of monitoring site | ### Getting Started #### Step 1: Get Your Free EPA AQS API Key (2 minutes) The EPA AQS API is completely free to use. To register: 1. **Open your browser** and go to: ```` https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/signup?email=YOUR\_EMAIL ```` Replace `YOUR_EMAIL` with your actual email address. 2. **Check your inbox** — EPA will send your API key within a few minutes. 3. **Copy your email and key** — you will enter both into this Actor's input. #### Step 2: Configure the Actor Fill in the input fields: - **AQS Email** — the email address you used to register - **AQS API Key** — the key EPA sent you - **State FIPS Code** — 2-digit code for the state you want (default: `06` for California). See the [state code list](https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/list/states?email=test@test.com&key=test). - **Pollutant Parameter Code** — default `88101` (PM2.5). Change to `44201` for ozone, `42401` for SO2, etc. - **Begin Date / End Date** — YYYYMMDD format (e.g., `20240101` / `20241231`). Defaults to the last 30 days. - **Max Results** — cap on records returned (default 1000; set to 0 for all) #### Step 3: Download Results Results appear as JSON in the **Dataset** tab. Export as CSV or JSON via the Apify platform. ### Tutorials #### Tutorial 1: Pull PM2.5 Data for California (Last 30 Days) **Goal:** Get the most recent validated PM2.5 readings for all monitoring sites in California. **Input:** ```json { "aqsEmail": "your@email.com", "aqsKey": "your_key_here", "state": "06", "param": "88101", "maxResults": 2000 } ```` **Expected output** (one record per site per day): ```json { "siteName": "Fresno-Garland", "stateCode": "06", "stateName": "California", "countyName": "Fresno", "latitude": 36.785726, "longitude": -119.773403, "dateLocal": "2024-06-15", "parameterName": "PM2.5 - Local Conditions", "parameterCode": "88101", "arithmeticMean": 12.4, "firstMaxValue": 19.1, "aqi": 52, "unitsOfMeasure": "Micrograms/cubic meter (LC)", "observationCount": 24, "observationPercentComplete": 100.0, "sampleDuration": "24 HOUR", "cityName": "Fresno", "cbsaName": "Fresno, CA" } ``` #### Tutorial 2: Ozone Monitoring in Texas **Goal:** Retrieve ozone readings for Texas for a full summer month. **Input:** ```json { "aqsEmail": "your@email.com", "aqsKey": "your_key_here", "state": "48", "param": "44201", "bdate": "20240601", "edate": "20240630", "maxResults": 5000 } ``` This returns daily ozone readings from every monitoring site in Texas for June 2024 — useful for tracking ozone season trends or identifying high-ozone corridors near industrial areas. #### Tutorial 3: Multi-State Environmental Due Diligence To compare air quality across several states (e.g., for industrial site selection), run the Actor once per state and combine the datasets downstream. Each run takes about 10–30 seconds for a 30-day window. **State FIPS quick reference:** - `06` California - `48` Texas - `36` New York - `12` Florida - `17` Illinois - `42` Pennsylvania - `26` Michigan - `53` Washington State ### Pricing This Actor charges **$0.003 per result record**. A typical 30-day PM2.5 pull for California returns ~1,500 records, costing about **$0.0045 in Actor fees** plus standard Apify compute costs. AQS data availability varies by state and pollutant. Not all pollutants are monitored in every state — if you get 0 records, try a different state or parameter code. ### Input Example ```json { "aqsEmail": "researcher@university.edu", "aqsKey": "abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890", "state": "06", "param": "88101", "bdate": "20240101", "edate": "20240331", "maxResults": 10000 } ``` ### Output Example ```json [ { "siteName": "Los Angeles-North Main Street", "stateCode": "06", "stateName": "California", "countyCode": "037", "countyName": "Los Angeles", "latitude": 34.0675, "longitude": -118.227, "dateLocal": "2024-01-15", "parameterName": "PM2.5 - Local Conditions", "parameterCode": "88101", "arithmeticMean": 17.3, "firstMaxValue": 28.5, "aqi": 62, "unitsOfMeasure": "Micrograms/cubic meter (LC)", "observationCount": 24, "observationPercentComplete": 100.0, "sampleDuration": "24 HOUR", "pollutantStandard": "PM25 24-hour 2024", "cityName": "Los Angeles", "cbsaName": "Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA" } ] ``` ### Common Parameter Codes | Code | Pollutant | NAAQS Standard | |------|-----------|----------------| | `88101` | PM2.5 – Local Conditions | 9 µg/m³ (annual), 35 µg/m³ (24h) | | `44201` | Ozone (O3) | 0.070 ppm (8-hour) | | `42401` | Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) | 75 ppb (1-hour) | | `42101` | Carbon Monoxide (CO) | 9 ppm (8-hour) | | `42602` | Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) | 100 ppb (1-hour) | | `81102` | PM10 Mass | 150 µg/m³ (24-hour) | | `14129` | Lead (Pb) | 0.15 µg/m³ (rolling 3-month) | ### Other Actors You Might Like - **EPA ECHO Compliance Scraper** — Enforcement and Compliance History Online: permits, violations, inspections - **EPA GHG Emitters Scraper** — Greenhouse gas emission reports from large industrial facilities - **EPA TRI Scraper** — Toxics Release Inventory: chemical releases by facility - **EPA Drinking Water Scraper** — Safe Drinking Water Act violations and system data - **BLS Labor Statistics Scraper** — Unemployment, wages, and CPI data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics ### FAQ **Q: Is this data free?** A: EPA AQS API access is completely free. You only pay Apify platform fees ($0.003/result for this Actor). **Q: How current is the data?** A: AQS data is validated before it appears in the API. Most data lags 1–3 months behind real time. For near-real-time AQI, the EPA AirNow API is a better source. **Q: Why did I get 0 records?** A: Not all pollutants are monitored in every state, and monitoring data may not exist for your requested date range. Try a different state (like California or Texas, which have many monitoring stations) or a wider date range. **Q: Can I query by county or monitoring site?** A: The current version queries by state. The AQS API also supports `/dailyData/byCounty` and `/dailyData/bySite` — contact support if you need county or site-level filtering added. **Q: How do I find valid state FIPS codes?** A: Use `https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/list/states?email=test@test.com&key=test` (no real key needed for list endpoints). ### Legal Disclaimer This Actor accesses publicly available data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Air Quality System (AQS) Data Mart API (`aqs.epa.gov`). All data is provided by the U.S. federal government under an open-data mandate. The EPA AQS API Terms of Service permit automated access for research, commercial, and educational use. No personal data is collected. Users are responsible for compliance with applicable data use policies. This Actor is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the U.S. EPA. For support, questions, or feature requests, please use the Apify Actor issue tracker. # Actor input Schema ## `aqsEmail` (type: `string`): Your email address registered with the EPA AQS API. Get a free key at https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/signup?email=YOUR\_EMAIL — EPA will email your key instantly. Leave blank to see setup instructions. ## `aqsKey` (type: `string`): Your EPA AQS API key (sent to your email after signing up at the URL above). Required to fetch real monitoring data. ## `state` (type: `string`): 2-digit state FIPS code. Examples: 06 = California, 48 = Texas, 36 = New York, 12 = Florida, 17 = Illinois, 42 = Pennsylvania, 13 = Georgia, 53 = Washington. See full list at https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/list/states?email=test@test.com\&key=test ## `param` (type: `string`): AQS pollutant parameter code. Common codes: 88101 = PM2.5 (default), 44201 = Ozone, 42401 = SO2, 42101 = CO, 42602 = NO2, 81102 = PM10, 14129 = Lead. Full list at https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/list/parametersByClass?email=test@test.com\&key=test\&pc=CRITERIA ## `bdate` (type: `string`): Start of date range in YYYYMMDD format. Example: 20240101. Defaults to 30 days before today. ## `edate` (type: `string`): End of date range in YYYYMMDD format. Example: 20241231. Defaults to today. Note: AQS data may lag by 1-3 months for validated readings. ## `maxResults` (type: `integer`): Maximum number of monitoring records to return. 0 = return all records from the API response (no cap). ## Actor input object example ```json { "aqsEmail": "", "state": "06", "param": "88101", "bdate": "", "edate": "", "maxResults": 1000 } ``` # Actor output Schema ## `dataset` (type: `string`): No description # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = {}; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("compute-edge/epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = {} # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("compute-edge/epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{}' | apify call compute-edge/epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=compute-edge/epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "EPA Air Quality System (AQS) Data Scraper", "description": "Scrape EPA AQS air quality monitoring data — PM2.5, ozone, SO2, NO2, CO daily readings with AQI scores from 4,000+ US monitoring stations. Free API key required.", "version": "0.1", "x-build-id": "bgUiMKNqBvIsojecD" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/compute-edge~epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-compute-edge-epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-compute-edge-epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/compute-edge~epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-compute-edge-epa-aqs-air-quality-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "aqsEmail": { "title": "AQS Email", "type": "string", "description": "Your email address registered with the EPA AQS API. Get a free key at https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/signup?email=YOUR_EMAIL — EPA will email your key instantly. Leave blank to see setup instructions.", "default": "" }, "aqsKey": { "title": "AQS API Key", "type": "string", "description": "Your EPA AQS API key (sent to your email after signing up at the URL above). Required to fetch real monitoring data." }, "state": { "title": "State FIPS Code", "type": "string", "description": "2-digit state FIPS code. Examples: 06 = California, 48 = Texas, 36 = New York, 12 = Florida, 17 = Illinois, 42 = Pennsylvania, 13 = Georgia, 53 = Washington. See full list at https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/list/states?email=test@test.com&key=test", "default": "06" }, "param": { "title": "Pollutant Parameter Code", "type": "string", "description": "AQS pollutant parameter code. Common codes: 88101 = PM2.5 (default), 44201 = Ozone, 42401 = SO2, 42101 = CO, 42602 = NO2, 81102 = PM10, 14129 = Lead. Full list at https://aqs.epa.gov/data/api/list/parametersByClass?email=test@test.com&key=test&pc=CRITERIA", "default": "88101" }, "bdate": { "title": "Begin Date (YYYYMMDD)", "type": "string", "description": "Start of date range in YYYYMMDD format. Example: 20240101. Defaults to 30 days before today.", "default": "" }, "edate": { "title": "End Date (YYYYMMDD)", "type": "string", "description": "End of date range in YYYYMMDD format. Example: 20241231. Defaults to today. Note: AQS data may lag by 1-3 months for validated readings.", "default": "" }, "maxResults": { "title": "Max Results", "minimum": 0, "maximum": 500000, "type": "integer", "description": "Maximum number of monitoring records to return. 0 = return all records from the API response (no cap).", "default": 1000 } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```