What is “AQI”?
[Back to Top] The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health concerns you should be aware of. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA uses the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The AQI reported on the Division of Air Quality’s ozone forecast website is for ozone only, this may differ from what is reported in the paper if another pollutant has a greater AQI value for the day.
The Air Quality Index (AQI), (formerly known as the Pollutant Standards Index) was issued on July 23, 1999 by the U.S. EPA for daily air quality reporting to the public. This new index reflects revisions to the primary health-based national ambient air quality standards for ground-level ozone and particulate matter issued by U.S. EPA in 1997. For much more detailed information, about the AQI and AQI levels in your area, please visit the U.S. EPA’s AirNow website.
