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What Is the Air Quality Index (AQI) and How Does It Impact Your Health?

what-is-the-air-quality-index -(aqi)-and-how-does-it-impact-your-health

The AQI or the Air Quality Index is an important tool which is intended to provide guidance to the general population on the expected air quality for the day and associated risks. It was developed to enable societies to make sound decisions regarding their air quality by providing an understandable classification scale that expresses air safety in terms of health.


What is AQI ?
The AQI is used to measure air pollution on a day-to-day basis worsening the current health of any human being. The AQI developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors five main pollutants:

  • Ground-level ozone

  • Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)

  • Carbon monoxide

  • Sulfur dioxide

  • Nitrogen dioxide

AQI values which are high or high AQI values correspond with higher levels of air pollution, as well as greater health risks. Thus, AQI becomes a very important parameter with respect to air quality assessment at any point in time.


How is AQI Calculated?
There exist disparities in the scale of AQI among countries. The US and India, for example, both employ a scale of 500. 
Let’s go over how it works fairly quickly:

  • 0–50: Good

  • 51–100: Satisfactory

  • 101–200: Moderately Polluted

  • 201–300: Poor

  • 301–400: Very Poor

  • 401–500: Severe

Pollutant levels from several cities are thus gathered by the monitors which are subsequently put through EPA's formulas to obtain the AQI values. The AQI for the day goes to the highest AQI for all pollutants recorded.


 AQI Categories and Health Impacts
The AQI can also be classified into various health caution levels as shown below:

 

  • Good (0–50): All individuals are safe and will not have any adverse health effects.

  • Satisfactory (51–100): Sensitive groups may experience some mild symptoms of discomfort while breathing.

  • Moderately Polluted (101–200): Respiration problems may be expected in persons with existing lungs problems; slight disturbance may be experienced by kids and elderly.

  • Poor (201-300): Patients with heart and lung diseases are at risk due to long term exposure.

  • Very Poor (301-400): Risk of diseases affecting breathing capability and lung functions might increase with prolonged exposure duration.

  • Severe (401-500): Healthy adults may face difficulties in breathing but even low activity levels will expose heart and lung patients to severe risks.


Why AQI Awareness Matters

With the use of too little monitoring tools, those susceptible to pollution can take precautionary measures because they are aware of the AQI. On the other hand, it allows one to compare various areas’ air quality, establish whether air quality has improved, or pinpoint the deterioration of air quality.


Who is Most Vulnerable?

Air pollution impacts some transnational issues since emissions increase rapidly and certain groups bear the brunt of the effects. For example –

  • Asthmatic patients, bronchitis patients, or people suffering from other respiratory diseases

  • Children due to the development of their lungs

  • Workers and sports people frequently exposed to socio-economic air pollution

  • Fully healthy persons who have hypersensitivities towards certain pollutants like ozone

Given the fact that air quality is an important aspect of public health, remaining aware through the AQI will come in handy. 


While it can assist you in determining whether or not to go outside or undertake physical activity, the AQI’s health-related information helps you in taking actions that are favorable to your health.

Stay informed about the air you breathe! Learn what the Air Quality Index (AQI) is and how it directly affects your health. Get the facts now. To get the latest news subscribe to Just Dubai
 

By: admin

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