We know to expect poor air quality at some point during the course of the summer, but at which point does it become a danger to our health? And when should we be sure to remain indoors? Learning how to read and understand an AQI report will help.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the level of pollution in the air. Experts measure air quality using parts per million, or PPM. This indicates how many milligrams of pollutants there are per square meter of air. However, this measurement isn’t necessarily meaningful to the average person so the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the AQI to measure air pollution in a way average citizens can understand.
The AQI runs from 0-500, with higher numbers indicating more pollution. The EPA split the index into several categories based on how bad the pollution is, alongside recommendations for healthy people and sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or sometimes cardiovascular health issues.
As a rule of thumb, AQI levels below 100 are considered to be healthy and acceptable, while AQI levels in excess of 300 are considered hazardous and pose a health risk.
AQI levels for your location and health warnings for the different levels can be found within Apple or Android’s native weather apps, most other third-party weather apps, or AQI-specific apps.
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Source For Information:
Air Now AQI Basics: https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/
