Additional Context: This information was collected as part of The Aid Report’s original reporting, “‘Why did the US State Department stop sharing air quality data?” This feature story examines how the U.S. has stopped publicly sharing air quality data collected at embassies around the world, leaving many countries without trusted pollution measurements.

The Global Air Quality program was born in 2008 out of a request from embassy workers in Beijing who feared the country’s pollution levels were impacting their health and couldn’t find air pollution data from the Chinese government. In March 2025, the State Department stopped sharing air quality readings from U.S. embassies and consulates through its public mobile applications, AirNow and ZephAir, citing cost issues. According to experts, reference-grade air quality monitors can cost between $15,000 and $40,000 to purchase, with annual operation and maintenance costs of approximately $15,000 per monitor. In many cities, however, the upfront investment had already been made before the data was taken offline.

Source: Devex