We use the US EPA standard:Ġ-50, “Good” - Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk.ĥ1-100, “Moderate” - Air quality poses little health risk. Any value larger than 300, for example, is considered to be hazardous, while an AQI value of 0-50, on the other hand, represents good air quality.Įach AQI value corresponds to a given color, icon and recommendation. The index ranges from 0 to 500, where high index values indicate higher levels of air pollution and higher potential for adverse health effects. The overall AQI number at a given moment is dictated by the "riskiest" pollutant, with the highest AQI number.
The index formula usually considers up to 6 main pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ground level ozone), and calculates the respective health risk (or AQI number) for each one. Meanwhile in particularly sandy or dusty places, PM10 will be the main pollutant.ĪQI, or Air Quality Index, is a system for translating sometimes confusing or unintuitive pollutant concentration measurements, into one easy-to-understand scale to clearly represent the health risk posed by air pollution. Sometimes in hot summer months, however, Ozone will be the main pollutant. For this reason, PM2.5 is most often the “main pollutant” in the air, dictating overall AQI. It's near microscopic size means that it is so small it can be absorbed into the bloodstream upon inhalation - causing a variety of effects on a number of organs. PM2.5 is generally the most prevalent pollutant present at harmful levels. Which air pollutants are most dangerous?.Of these six key pollutants, generally PM2.5, PM10 and Ozone are the most likely to reach unhealthy levels. These pollutants include: PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ground level ozone (O3). There are six key pollutants which are frequently measured by government monitoring stations, and used to calculate overall AQI. What are the different types of air pollution?.In a new air quality model released by The World Health Organization, it is estimated that 92% of our globe’s population is currently breathing unsafe, polluted air. Long term health effects of prolonged exposure can include cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, decreased lung function, cancer, and premature death.Įveryone is at risk of breathing harmful air pollution on a daily basis - whether indoors or out.Īir quality can quickly reach unhealthy levels in our daily activities of cooking, cleaning, and driving or biking in traffic. + Inflammation of the lung lining and increased respiratory discomfort
+ Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing + Irritation of the eyes, throat, and nose Short term health effects of breathing polluted air include:
As a result, real-time air pollution data and awareness is critical to protecting yourself from adverse effects.īy enabling location services and notifications on the AirVisual app, you can rest assured you are always informed of pollution spikes, wherever you are. Air pollution is dynamic and can change in as little as a few minutes based on weather patterns, polluting sources, human behavior, and other variables. There is no concrete answer for how your city’s air quality fairs. What’s the air quality like in my city?.