The Air Quality Index
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is an index
for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted
your outdoor air is, and what associated health effects might be
a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience
within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates
the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air
Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate
matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality
standards to protect public health. For Information regarding indoor
air quality please visit the Indoor
Air Quality website.
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The AIRNOW Web site
The U.S. EPA has developed the AIRNow website to provide the public
with easy access to national air quality information. The website
offers daily AQI forecasts as well as real-time AQI conditions for
over 275 cities across the US, and provides links to more detailed
State and local air quality websites.
This website
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presents comprehensive air quality maps and forecasts
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supplies real-time images of air quality and visibility via
webcams
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displays air quality forecasts (good, moderate, unhealthy for
sensitive groups, unhealthy, very unhealthy, hazardous) for
"air action days" in major metropolitan areas around the country
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provides suggestions on what you can do to help improve the
air quality where you live.
The AIRNow website has four primary areas: Where You Live, Air
Quality Forecasts, Air Quality Conditions, and Publications.
Where You Live - Direct access to current
AQI conditions (air quality maps and animations), AQI forecasts
and website links to state and local information.
Air Quality
Forecasts - Nationwide daily air quality forecasts provided
by State and Local Air Agencies for over 275 major US cities.
Air Quality Conditions - Nationwide
and regional real-time ozone air quality maps covering 44 US States
and parts of Canada. These maps are updated daily every hour.
Publications - documentation
on the Air Quality Index (AQI), air pollution health effects, and
more.
About the Data
The air quality data used in these maps and to generate forecasts
are collected using either Federal reference or equivalent monitoring
techniques or techniques approved by the State Local or Tribal monitoring
agencies. Since the information needed to make maps must be as "real-time"
as possible, the data are displayed as soon as practical after the
end of each hour. Although some preliminary data quality assessments
are performed, the data as such are not fully verified and validated
through the quality assurance procedures monitoring organizations
use to officially submit and certify data on the EPA AQS. Therefore,
data are used on the AIRNow web site only for the purpose of reporting
the AQI. Information on the AIRNow web site is not used to formulate
or support regulation, guidance or any other Agency decision or
position.
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