Why this Air Pollution Assessment Model Works for You

What makes an air pollution assessment model a necessity?

Air pollution varies from day to day with the weather conditions and the emissions of pollutants from cars and factories,

and sometimes reaches hazardous levels. It has also become important to monitor the quality of the air at regular times in many areas.

In fact, certain components of air pollution, such as ozone, receive continuous assessment from air quality management services.

We used to measure air pollution and report a number called the Pollutant Standards Index, or PSI.

Then, in the States, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, replaced this one with a dimensionless number known as the Air Quality Index or AQI.

The U.S. has determined an air quality standard, a threshold concentration for each polluting substance, below which it is deemed relatively harmless. The AQI expresses the pollutant's concentration as a percentage of that standard.

If that concentration is equal to the guideline, it will be assigned an AQI of 100 for that particular measurement. Technically, you could report an Air Quality Index for every contaminant monitored at each station. But we usually just give an overall AQI, equal to the highest percentage assigned to any constituent.

In this case, the triggering ingredient is also identified.

Air quality problems

If you live in an area that uses the AQI as an air pollution assessment model, you will see that sometimes the number goes above 100.

This earmarks an unhealthy situation.

An AQI between 101 and 150 indicates that active people, particularly children, and those with conditions like asthma should try to stay indoors.

Outdoor exertion can cause people to inhale too much of the pollutants in the air. And suffer respiratory problems because of it.

Higher AQI's alert us to even more dangerous conditions. One large study of the effect of air pollution on children's health began in 1992. Over 5000 children were studied, ranging from fourth grade through high school graduation.

The pollutants that were found to be the most damaging to their lungs were acidic vapors, elemental carbon, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (dust). Ozone was also found to be harmful to those children who participated in outdoor sports, causing some to develop asthma.

So, What's it Good For?

The AQI provides citizens with a simple air pollution assessment model that keeps them informed of changes in the air quality. By quickly checking this air quality risk assessment, people can know how to take steps to protect themselves and their kids from acute dangers of air pollution.

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