Thursday, October 31, 2024
HomeUs NewsUnderstanding air quality alerts in your area

Understanding air quality alerts in your area

Published on

spot_img


When you step outside on a summer afternoon for a dose of fresh air, do you ever stop and wonder how “fresh” the air actually is?

Some people wouldn’t give this a second thought, but those who suffer from respiratory issues depend highly on air quality information.  


What You Need To Know

  • Air quality is monitored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  • The Air Quality Index is used to give easy to understand air quality information to the public. If necessary, Air quality alerts will be issued for an area.
  • Ozone is one of several major air pollutants.
  • Unhealthy air quality often happens during calm, stagnant, fair weather days.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for monitoring the air quality, and it uses an Air Quality Index (AQI) to keep the public informed.  The index is color coded based on the level of health concern, and there are six levels.

Courtesy of EPA

Once a Code Orange is reached, Air Quality Alerts are issued since the index value is now over 100, which means unhealthy air quality for those in sensitive groups (e.g. elderly, young children, those with respiratory problems, etc.).

The higher the index value (which can get over 300), the more unhealthy the air is for everyone and outside time should be limited.    

Ozone is one of the main pollutants that could lead to unhealthy air quality if the levels are too high. This most often happens on calm, stagnant, fair weather days in urban industrialized areas.

See also  Lionel Messi scores twice for Argentina against Peru as Brazil's Neymar suffers injury

This is not the “good” ozone that forms naturally in the upper atmosphere and blocks us from the sun’s harmful UV rays. This is the “bad” ground-level ozone that’s basically a created chemical byproduct from man-made pollutants.

Courtesy of EPA

Other major pollutants that an Air Quality Alert could be issued for are:

  • Particle Pollution ( i.e. Particulate Matter)
  • Nitrogen dioxide
  • Sulfur Dioxide
  • Carbon Monoxide

When under an air quality alert, you can help by minimizing your use of anything that helps pollute the air. For example, drive less, don’t use gas powered equipment, and don’t burn garbage or any other items.



Source link

Latest articles

Warning tax rises could force care homes to close

Getty ImagesThe Liberal Democrats have called on the government to exempt social care...

Farmers market vendors team up with Fox Fungi farm for the winter

As winter approaches and outdoor farmers markets wind down, many small businesses that...

Debunking voter fraud conspiracy theories. And, presidential power over abortion

Good morning. You're reading the Up First...

Celebs Oversharing Gross Facts You Didn’t Need To Know

Celebs Oversharing Gross Facts You Didn't Need To Know ...

More like this

Warning tax rises could force care homes to close

Getty ImagesThe Liberal Democrats have called on the government to exempt social care...

Farmers market vendors team up with Fox Fungi farm for the winter

As winter approaches and outdoor farmers markets wind down, many small businesses that...

Debunking voter fraud conspiracy theories. And, presidential power over abortion

Good morning. You're reading the Up First...