• HOTSPOTS
  • BOUNDARIES
  • TRENDS
  • HUMAN

How to map local pollution zones with your AI

Connect PurpleAir to your AI client to pull real-time air quality data from specific coordinates or neighborhoods.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I map local pollution zones with my AI?

Your AI queries PurpleAir sensors within specific geographic boundaries to find high PM2.5 concentrations. You get a clear view of air quality hotspots in your target area.

Data outcomes

What you'll find

The AI processes sensor data to give you these specific insights.

HOTSPOTS

Identify pollution spikes

The AI compares PM2.5 readings across multiple sensors to pinpoint where air quality is worst.

BOUNDARIES

Define search areas

You can restrict sensor lookups to specific neighborhoods or city blocks using coordinate ranges.

TRENDS

Spot air quality shifts

The AI looks for patterns in sensor data to show how pollution moves through a specific zone.

HUMAN

Verify sensor health

You'll need to manually check if a sensor is offline or broken if the readings look wrong.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The AI handles the heavy lifting of querying the sensor network and filtering the results.

  1. Locate sensors

    The AI finds all active sensors within the specific latitude and longitude range you provide.

    get_sensors_by_bounding_box

  2. Filter for PM2.5

    It narrows the sensor list down to only those reporting fine particulate matter levels.

    get_pm25_sensors

  3. Analyze density

    The AI calculates the average pollution levels across the selected group of sensors.

    get_pm25_sensors

  4. Map the zone

    The AI organizes the sensor locations and their readings into a summary of the area.

    get_sensors_by_bounding_box

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to begin your analysis.

Starting points

Swap the bracketed text for your actual coordinates or neighborhood names.

PurpleAir Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_8GtJ3PAbFBkLWG7y9DACceyyzK4HYrrtyQiWNSQb/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — PurpleAir capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "purpleair-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_8GtJ3PAbFBkLWG7y9DACceyyzK4HYrrtyQiWNSQb/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • Find all PM2.5 sensors within the bounding box [insert coordinates].

  • Which sensors in [insert neighborhood] are reporting the highest PM2.5 levels?

  • Compare the air quality between the sensors in [Area A] and [Area B].

  • List all active PurpleAir sensors located near [insert street address].

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect PurpleAir once, then ask.

One connection gives your AI access to the sensor network. All credentials stay encrypted and secure.

Connect PurpleAir to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves

  • 01

    Can the AI install new sensors?

    No. The AI can only read data from existing PurpleAir sensors.

  • 02

    Can the AI change sensor settings?

    No. The AI only has permission to query and retrieve data.

  • 03

    How does the AI know which sensors to look at?

    It uses the bounding box coordinates you provide to find sensors in that specific area.

  • 04

    Does the AI provide a visual map?

    The AI provides the data and descriptions of the locations, but you use your own client to view the actual map.

  • 05

    Can I use this for real-time alerts?

    The AI can analyze current data you ask for, but it does not push notifications to you automatically.

  • More questions about PurpleAir? The Connector page answers them. See everything the PurpleAir Connector can do

Connect PurpleAir to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more