How do I find air quality near my address?

Use the `get_sensors_near_me` tool with your latitude and longitude. Alternatively, search for sensors by bounding box using `get_sensors_by_bounding_box` with corner coordinates. The API will return nearby sensors with current PM2.5, temperature, and humidity readings.

Can I get historical air quality data?

Yes. Use `get_sensor_history` with a sensor index and time range (Unix timestamps). You can specify which fields to retrieve (PM2.5, temperature, humidity) and set an averaging interval (e.g. 3600 for hourly averages). For spreadsheet analysis, use `get_sensor_history_csv` to get data in CSV format.

What does PM2.5 mean and why is it important?

PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers — about 30 times smaller than a human hair. These particles can penetrate deep into lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing respiratory and cardiovascular health effects. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³ annual average. PurpleAir sensors measure PM2.5 in real-time, making them essential for health advisories and pollution monitoring.

PurpleAir MCP Server for AutoGen 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: PurpleAir
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

microsoft.github.io/autogen/docs/tools/mcp-tools

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 Tools Framework

Microsoft AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations where agents negotiate, delegate, and execute tasks collaboratively. Add PurpleAir as an MCP tool provider through Vinkius and every agent in the group can access live data and take action.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

python

import asyncio
from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench

async def main():
    # Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
    async with McpWorkbench(
        server_params={"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"},
        transport="streamable_http",
    ) as workbench:
        tools = await workbench.list_tools()
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            name="purpleair_agent",
            tools=tools,
            system_message=(
                "You help users with PurpleAir. "
                "10 tools available."
            ),
        )
        print(f"Agent ready with {len(tools)} tools")

asyncio.run(main())

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* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About PurpleAir MCP Server

Access the world's largest hyperlocal air quality dataset through PurpleAir — a global network of over 50,000 low-cost air quality sensors measuring PM2.5, PM10.0, temperature, humidity, pressure, and more. Connect PurpleAir to your AI agent to monitor real-time air quality, track wildfire smoke, analyze pollution trends, and access historical data for any location — all through natural conversation.

AutoGen enables multi-agent conversations where agents negotiate, delegate, and collaboratively use PurpleAir tools. Connect 10 tools through Vinkius and assign role-based access. a data analyst queries while a reviewer validates, with optional human-in-the-loop approval for sensitive operations.

What you can do

Real-Time Air Quality — Get current PM2.5 readings from sensors near any address or coordinate.
Historical Analysis — Retrieve time-series data for trend analysis, pollution events, and compliance reporting.
Geographic Mapping — Find all sensors within a bounding box for city-wide or regional air quality mapping.
Wildfire Smoke Tracking — Monitor PM2.5 spikes during wildfire events across affected areas.
Indoor Air Quality — Access indoor sensor data for workplace health and HVAC optimization.
CSV Export — Download historical data in CSV format for spreadsheet analysis.
Location-Based Queries — Find the closest sensor to any GPS coordinate.
Sensor Filtering — Filter sensors by type (indoor/outdoor), fields, and update recency.

The PurpleAir MCP Server exposes 10 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to AutoGen in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect PurpleAir to AutoGen via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the PurpleAir MCP Server with AutoGen.

Install AutoGen

Run pip install "autogen-ext[mcp]"

Replace the token

Replace [YOUR_TOKEN_HERE] with your Vinkius token

Integrate into workflow

Use the agent in your AutoGen multi-agent orchestration

Explore tools

The workbench discovers 10 tools from PurpleAir automatically

Why Use AutoGen with the PurpleAir MCP Server

AutoGen provides unique advantages when paired with PurpleAir through the Model Context Protocol.

Multi-agent conversations: multiple AutoGen agents discuss, delegate, and collaboratively use PurpleAir tools to solve complex tasks

Role-based architecture lets you assign PurpleAir tool access to specific agents. a data analyst queries while a reviewer validates

Human-in-the-loop support: agents can pause for human approval before executing sensitive PurpleAir tool calls

Code execution sandbox: AutoGen agents can write and run code that processes PurpleAir tool responses in an isolated environment

PurpleAir + AutoGen Use Cases

Practical scenarios where AutoGen combined with the PurpleAir MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Collaborative analysis: one agent queries PurpleAir while another validates results and a third generates the final report

Automated review pipelines: a researcher agent fetches data from PurpleAir, a critic agent evaluates quality, and a writer produces the output

Interactive planning: agents negotiate task allocation using PurpleAir data to make informed decisions about resource distribution

Code generation with live data: an AutoGen coder agent writes scripts that process PurpleAir responses in a sandboxed execution environment

PurpleAir MCP Tools for AutoGen (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect PurpleAir to AutoGen via MCP:

get_indoor_sensors

These sensors measure air quality inside buildings, homes, and enclosed spaces. Useful for indoor air quality assessments, HVAC monitoring, and workspace health studies. Get all indoor PurpleAir sensors

get_outdoor_sensors

These are sensors measuring ambient outdoor air quality. Returns current PM2.5, temperature, humidity and other measurements for each sensor. Useful for regional air quality monitoring, wildfire smoke tracking, and urban pollution studies. Get all outdoor (outside) PurpleAir sensors

get_pm25_sensors

5 (fine particulate matter) measurements. PM2.5 is the most important air quality indicator — particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers that can penetrate deep into lungs and bloodstream. Returns current PM2.5 concentrations along with location data. Essential for health advisories, wildfire smoke tracking, and urban pollution monitoring. Get sensors with PM2.5 measurements

get_sensor_data

Returns PM2.5, PM1.0, PM10.0 particle concentrations, temperature, humidity, pressure, VOC levels, and other measurements depending on the sensor model. Use the fields parameter to specify which measurements to return. Essential for monitoring air quality at a specific location. Get real-time data from a specific PurpleAir sensor

get_sensor_history

Returns time-series data for the requested fields (PM2.5, temperature, humidity, etc.) at regular intervals. Use start_timestamp and end_timestamp (Unix timestamps) to define the time range. The average parameter controls data aggregation (e.g. 60 for 1-minute averages, 3600 for hourly). Essential for analyzing air quality trends, identifying pollution events, and compliance reporting. Get historical air quality data from a PurpleAir sensor

get_sensor_history_csv

Same functionality as get_sensor_history but returns data as CSV instead of JSON. Use for offline analysis, charting, or compliance reporting. Requires start_timestamp and end_timestamp parameters. Get historical sensor data in CSV format for analysis

get_sensors_by_bounding_box

Provide the northwest (nwlat, nwlng) and southeast (selat, selng) corner coordinates. Perfect for mapping air quality across a city, neighborhood, or region. Returns all sensors in the area with current readings. Use with fields parameter to customize returned data. Get all sensors within a geographic bounding box

get_sensors_by_index

Provide comma-separated sensor indices in the show_only parameter. Useful when you already know the sensor indices from a previous query and want to get fresh readings without fetching all sensors. Get data for specific sensor(s) by their indices

get_sensors_near_me

Internally uses a bounding box around the point to find nearby sensors. Useful for identifying the closest PurpleAir monitor to any address or coordinate. Returns sensors sorted by proximity with current air quality readings. Find PurpleAir sensors near a specific location

list_sensors

Use the location_type parameter to filter by sensor type (outside=0, inside=1). Use the fields parameter to specify which data fields to return (e.g. name,latitude,longitude,pm2.5_atm,temperature,humidity). By default returns basic sensor info. Use show_only to filter by specific sensor indices (comma-separated). Use modified_since (Unix timestamp) to get only sensors updated after a specific time. Results include sensor metadata and real-time air quality measurements. List PurpleAir air quality sensors with optional filters

Example Prompts for PurpleAir in AutoGen

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your AutoGen agent to start working with PurpleAir immediately.

"What's the air quality near San Francisco right now?"

"Show me the PM2.5 trend for sensor 12345 over the last 24 hours."

"Find all outdoor sensors in Los Angeles and show me their PM2.5 readings."

Troubleshooting PurpleAir MCP Server with AutoGen

Common issues when connecting PurpleAir to AutoGen through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

McpWorkbench not found

Install: pip install "autogen-ext[mcp]"

PurpleAir + AutoGen FAQ

Common questions about integrating PurpleAir MCP Server with AutoGen.

How does AutoGen connect to MCP servers?

Create an MCP tool adapter and assign it to one or more agents in the group chat. AutoGen agents can then call PurpleAir tools during their conversation turns.

Can different agents have different MCP tool access?

Yes. AutoGen's role-based architecture lets you assign specific MCP tools to specific agents, so a querying agent has different capabilities than a reviewing agent.