- published: 29 Jan 2009
- views: 125922
Air quality is defined as a measure of the condition of air relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species or to any human need or purpose. Air quality indices (AQI) are numbers 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 assigned 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.
Most air contaminants do not have an associated AQI. Many countries monitor ground-level ozone, particulates, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide and calculate air quality indices for these pollutants.
Air Quality 101: The Basics
Air Quality: A Tale of Three Cities
NASA | Human Fingerprint on Global Air Quality
Air Pollution - Causes & Effects, Air Quality Index, Educational Videos & Lessons for Children, Kids
Air Pollution Causes, Effects And Solutions!
Why is our air quality not improving?: James Tate at TEDxUniversityofLeeds
Smoggy London: Air pollution hits new high as UK govt ignores toxic issue
Lung In A Box: Testing Air Quality Anywhere
Beijing experiences terrible air quality
New Science: Indoor Air Quality
How To Improve Indoor Air Quality
Air pollution in China: Air quality is so bad, Canada sells China cans of fresh air - TomoNews
Air Mentor - Indoor Air Quality Monitor and Service
NASA: U.S. air quality improving