Here is a welcome tool that is an easily-accessible indicator of your local air quality.
Visit this post often as the map updates automatically with the latest air quality forecast information.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes that along with “the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service, tribal, state, and local agencies it has developed an AIRNow Web Site to provide the public with easy access to national air quality information.
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.”
Also, since we spend the majority of our time indoors, the quality of our indoor air environments is an important determinant of our health.
See the American Lung Association’s State of the Air 2010 Report.
Learn More About Air Pollution from the Encyclopedia of Earth.
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