UIC School of Public Health Preserving Public and Environmental Health for Chicago Residents

For the past 10 years, the School of Public Health (SPH) has collaborated with the Chicago Park District to monitor water quality at Chicago beaches. Each morning from Memorial Day to Labor Day, UIC student researchers retrieve water from 18 Chicago beaches and test the samples for enterococci bacteria, elevated levels of which can indicate contamination. The results are reported that same morning to the Chicago Park District which can, if needed, issue a swim advisory to protect visitors to the beaches.

Additionally, SPH is working with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) on development of the Chicago Air Sensor Network to increase the concentration of air sensors throughout the city. The network will provide neighborhood-level air quality data to the public. CDPH says that when the network is fully deployed, Chicago is set to have the largest community air monitoring network in the world with nearly 280 sensors. Following deployment and quality assurance, the goal is to launch a publicly available dashboard, expected in early 2026.