In Grays Ferry's Stinger Square Park, a new air quality monitor is mounted on a light pole near the playground. The device is one of the monitors installed citywide to measure particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels.
At last check, some neighborhoods of the city are registering green, indicating good air quality, while some are in orange, which means those with underlying conditions should avoid strenuous activity outdoors.
Residents can view realtime readings on an interactive Breathe Philly map.
"Every address in the city is within one and a half miles of a monitor. So you know the data that you're getting is related to the air that you're breathing," said James Garrow of the Philadelphia Department of Health.
DeMorra Hawkins, a lifelong Grays Ferry resident and member of the environmental group Philly Thrive, said pollution has long affected her neighborhood.
"It is statistically proven, it is causing an increase in asthma in our children and increase in respiratory problems of long-term residents," she said.
Hawkins said the new monitors are only one step.
"It's a piece of the puzzle, but it's not the whole picture. Because once you do that, what's next?" she said.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said the city intends to put the data to use.
"We should use the data to inform our decision-making," she said.
The "Breathe Philly" website is now live at Phila.gov/BreathePhilly, where residents can view current air quality conditions across the city.