AIR QUALITY INDEX (AQI's)

What are Air Quality Index''s or AQI's?

It is another weather measurment... it is a way to measure the amount of the six major pollutants in the air. These pollutants are particulates, sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), lead (Pb), and ozone (O3). A measurement of 0 to 100 is considered acceptable, but from 100 to 150 is unhealthy for old people, young children, and people with asthma. Above 150 is unhealthy for everyone.

Generally on hot, humid and sticky days, AQI's rise up. There are generally five classifications for an AQI.

If the AQI is 1-15, it is classified as "Very Good"
If it is 16-31, it is "Good".
From 32-49, it is "Moderate"
50-99 is "Poor"
100+ is "Very Poor".

Is the AQI also the Air Quality Health Index? Well in a word, no. For information on the AQHI, see one of my previous blogs, click HERE.

AQI's for Canadian provinces/territories and their cities, click HERE to retrieve them.

If you have a weather question, email me at city.weather@yahoo.ca