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
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 ...
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 ...
Californians -- and their cell phones -- will help computer scientists monitor air pollution
Technology / Computer Sciences
Dec 04, 2009 |
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You want to go for a run, but you don't want to run in polluted air that might aggravate your asthma. University of California, San Diego computer scientists are creating a network of environmental sensors ...
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 ...
Glimpsing a greener future: Computer model foresees effects of alternative transportation fuels
Nov 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- It's the year 2060, and 75 percent of drivers in the Greater Los Angeles area have hydrogen fuel cell vehicles that emit only water vapor.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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.
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 ...
Researchers apply new statistical test: Particulate matter reaches downtown Pittsburgh
Mar 17, 2009 |
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Carnegie Mellon University's Cliff I. Davidson, Joseph B. Kadane and Nanjun Chu have found that polluted air in the highly populated East End areas of Pittsburgh are more affected by major sources to the city's southeast ...
Long-term ozone exposure linked to higher risk of death, finds nationwide study
Mar 11, 2009 |
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Long-term exposure to ground-level ozone, a major component of smog, is associated with an increased risk of death from respiratory ailments, according to a new nationwide study led by a researcher at the ...
'Refinery dust' reveals clues about local polluters
Jan 12, 2009 |
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Cloaked in the clouds of emissions and exhaust that hang over the city are clues that lead back to the polluting culprits, and a research team led by the University of Houston is hot on their trails.
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 ...
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.
