Charcoal grilling causes PM2.5 spikes at Westmoreland County well pad

Air monitoring at the MAM16 well pad in Bell Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, recorded significant spikes in PM2.5 concentrations during Memorial Day weekend. An investigation by the CNX team determined that the source of the pollutants was a charcoal grill used by weekend shift workers to cook food on-site.

The incident highlighted how common summer activities, such as charcoal grilling, can lead to noticeable increases in particulate matter. While charcoal cooking is a leisure tradition in the United States, the data from the MAM16 site demonstrated that even a single small grill can impact local air quality readings.