Plainfield, New Jersey

Environmental Quality Report Card

Plainfield reports good air quality, with AQI levels better than the national average. Water tests indicate concerning conditions across key measures. Facility compliance with environmental standards is above the national average.

Air Quality (Annual Overview)

Grade A
28.5 AQI

Yearly average AQI (2024): 28.5. National average: 41.4. 38 moderate days, 0 unhealthy days recorded.

Water Quality (Key Indicators)

Grade D
6.95 pH

Latest pH level (2024): 6.95. Ideal range: 6.5–8.5.

Facility Violations

Grade A
70 total violations

Facilities like factories and treatment plants had 0 significant and 70 total violations reported in 2024.

Water Quality (with EPA Standards)

Water quality measurements are provided by the Water Quality Portal , a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.

Characteristic Local Value Safe Range Grade Last Measured
Temperature 19.60 °C <25 A 10/2/2024
pH 6.95 6.5 - 8.5 A 10/2/2024
Fecal Coliform 140.00 cfu/100mL <200 A 10/2/2024
Turbidity 1.41 NTU <5 A 6/25/2024
Ammonia 3.09 mg/L <0.5 F 6/25/2024
Lead 0.00 mg/L <0.015 A 11/4/2024
Arsenic 460.00 mg/L <0.01 F 11/4/2024
Zinc 2.86 mg/L <5 A 11/4/2024
Copper 1.46 mg/L <1.3 C 11/4/2024
Mercury 0.00 mg/L <0.002 A 11/4/2024

Water Quality (No EPA Standard)

These measurements do not have formal EPA standards but are still important indicators of local water quality.

Characteristic Local Value Unit Last Measured
Temperature, water 24.80 deg C 7/23/2024
Chlorophyll a 2.10 RFU 10/2/2024
Salinity 1.29 PSU 10/2/2024
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 78.00 % 10/2/2024
Alkalinity, total 59.10 mg/L 6/25/2024
Enterococcus 1169.00 MPN/100mL 10/2/2024
Specific conductance 593.00 uS/cm 7/23/2024
Total suspended solids 1.00 mg/L 6/25/2024
Organic carbon 2.46 mg/L 11/4/2024
Total Nitrogen, mixed forms 1074.59 ug/L 6/25/2024
Orthophosphate 66.53 ug/L 6/25/2024
Total Phosphorus, mixed forms 79.23 ug/L 6/25/2024
Nitrate + Nitrite 647.15 ug/L 6/25/2024
Biogenic Silica 0.02 mg/L 6/25/2024
Selenium 149.00 ng/L 11/4/2024
Cadmium 11.10 ng/L 11/4/2024
Chromium(VI) 0.09 ug/L 11/4/2024
Nickel 0.95 ug/L 11/4/2024
Chromium 0.60 ug/L 11/4/2024
Manganese 22.20 ug/L 11/4/2024

Air Quality Details (2024–2025)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures how clean or polluted the air is. A lower AQI means cleaner air. Main pollutants include particulate matter like PM2.5, ozone, and others regulated by EPA standards.
Air quality data sourced from OpenAQ, aggregating official monitoring stations.

Yearly Average AQI National Average AQI Good Days Moderate Days Unhealthy Days Worst Day AQI Top Pollutant
28.5 41.4 316 38 0 72 (on 12/26/2024) PM2.5

Monthly AQI Trend

Monthly average AQI values over the past year. Lower values are better. Peaks may indicate pollution events.

Facility Compliance

Facility compliance and violation data come from the EPA's ECHO database.

5,000+ monitored facilities

Total Violations: 70

Significant Violations: 0

Total Penalties: $21,257

Despite no significant violations, Plainfield reported 70 total violations across monitored facilities in 2024. This results in a compliance grade of A, reflecting strong adherence to environmental standards compared to national benchmarks.

About the Data

This report uses the latest publicly available environmental data:

  • Air Quality: Data sourced from the OpenAQ Platform, aggregating official air quality monitoring stations near Plainfield.
  • Water Quality: Measurements from the Water Quality Portal, a collaboration between the USGS, EPA, and other agencies.
  • Facility Compliance: Sourced from the EPA's ECHO Database, detailing facility violations, penalties, and compliance rates.

All data is refreshed regularly and reflects the latest available figures for 2024.