About the Air Quality Index

About the Air Quality Index (AQI):

The Air Quality Index is a standard method for reporting upon the air quality of a particular area, developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The AQI is intended to inform the public about how clean or polluted the local air is, and what associated health effects there may be.

The calculations to determine the index values are based upon limits as specified by the Clear Air Act for five major air pollutants: ground-level Ozone (O₃), particle pollution (also refered to as "particulate matter"), carbon monozide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). The AQI ratings are set according to how much of a particular pollutant is present during a particular time period.

Monitoring of air quality is performed by state and local agencies for areas of a particular population density -- if a Metropolitan Statistical Area (as defined by the 1990 census) has a population of more than 350,000, they are required to monitor and report the AQI daily to the public. So, there are many areas of the country where AQI information will not be available.

Air pollution is typically more problematic during the summer, since heat and other weather conditions can cause pollutants to build up and be trapped closer to the ground instead of dissipating.

The presence of air pollution can significantly aggravate and cause various health problems, including: asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases; cardiopulmonary disease; strokes and other cerebrovascular diseases.

The AQI forecasts are distributed by SuperPages.com in order to keep our users informed of local weather conditions.

For more information, visit the EPA website.

[close]