Air Quality Index
hideThe Air Quality Index (AQI) (also known as the Air Pollution Index (API) or Pollutant Standard Index (PSI)) is a number used by government agencies to characterize the quality of the air at a given location. As the AQI increases, an increasingly large percentage of the population is likely to experience increasingly severe adverse health effects. To compute the AQI requires an air pollutant concentration from a monitor or model. The function used to convert from air pollutant concentration to AQI varies by pollutant, and is different in different countries. Air quality index values are divided into ranges, and each range is assiged a descriptor and a color code. Standardized public health advisories are associated with each AQI range. An agency might also encourage members of the public to take public transportation or work from home when AQI levels are high.
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News tagged with air quality
Helium Balloon in Paris Displays Air Pollution Levels
Jul 09, 2008 |
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People in Paris won't have to look far to see the city's air pollution levels. A giant tethered helium balloon will display real-time reports of atmospheric pollution using an innovative lighting system, which ...
Research shows some plants can remove indoor pollutants
Dec 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Some plants have the ability to drastically reduce levels of indoor pollutants, according to new research at the University of Georgia. Researchers showed that certain species can effectively ...
Dirty smoke from ships found to degrade air quality in coastal cities
Aug 18, 2008 |
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Ah, nothing like breathing clean coastal air, right? Think again. Chemists at UC San Diego have measured for the first time the impact that dirty smoke from ships cruising at sea and generating electricity in port can have ...
Study suggests air quality regulations miss key pollutants
Sep 24, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study led by the University of Colorado at Boulder reveals that air quality regulations may not effectively target a large source of fine, organic particle pollutants that contribute to hazy skies and ...
Study advises Chinese government to change fuel in millions of households
Jun 19, 2009 |
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Scientists in China are recommending that the Chinese government consider phasing out the direct burning of traditional chunks of coal in millions of households. It suggests that the government substitute ...
New approach to emissions makes climate and air quality models more accurate, major study finds
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Dec 10, 2009 |
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It's no secret that the emissions leaving a car tailpipe or factory smokestack affect climate and air quality. Even trees release chemicals that influence the atmosphere. But until now, scientists have struggled to know where ...
Common plants can eliminate indoor air pollutants
Nov 04, 2009 |
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Air quality in homes, offices, and other indoor spaces is becoming a major health concern, particularly in developed countries where people often spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Surprisingly, indoor ...
Researchers examine impact of beetle kill on Rocky Mountain weather, air quality
Biology /
Sep 24, 2008 |
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Mountain pine beetles appear to be doing more than killing large swaths of forests in the Rocky Mountains. Scientists suspect they are also altering local weather patterns and air quality.
They're alive! Megacities breathe, consume energy, excrete wastes and pollute
Aug 18, 2009 |
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A scientific trend to view the world's biggest cities as analogous to living, breathing organisms is fostering a deep new understanding of how poor air quality in megacities can harm residents, people living ...
Report: Most Americans in areas with unhealthy air
Apr 29, 2009 |
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(AP) -- Sixty percent of Americans live in areas with unhealthy air pollution levels, despite a growing green movement and more stringent laws aimed at improving air quality, the American Lung Association ...
States call on EPA for tougher air pollution regulations
Nov 06, 2009 |
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Twelve states and the District of Columbia urged the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday to adopt more rigorous national policies so they can meet federal air pollution reduction requirements for the region.
Wildfires set to increase 50 percent by 2050
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Jul 28, 2009 |
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The area of forest burnt by wildfires in the United States is set to increase by over 50% by 2050, according to research by climate scientists.
Air quality in schools affects cognitive performance
Dec 22, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Research by a team led by Professor Derek Clements-Croome at the University of Reading has shown a direct association between the environmental conditions in classrooms and pupils' cognitive performance.
Carbon monoxide linked to heart problems in elderly
Aug 31, 2009 |
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Exposure to carbon monoxide, even at levels well below national limits, is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for the elderly with heart problems, according to a study published today in Circulation: Jo ...
Pollution from California Wildfires Spreads Across the United States (w/ Video)
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Sep 04, 2009 |
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Beginning August 26, 2009, and continuing into September 2009, a large wildfire in the Angeles National Forest north of Los Angeles known as the Station Fire burned more than 140,000 acres through September ...
