What is the AQI?
The Air Quality Index (AQI) was devised by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to indicate how polluted the air is by major pollutants. The pollutants used to produce an API reading are particulate matter (soot, dust, particles), sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and ozone. I’m not currently aware of how the pollutants are combined to produce an AQI, nor can I currently find such a description on the internet. The most prevalent air pollutants in the Temecula Valley is PM10, which is particulate matter of an average of ten microns. Ozone is the second biggest pollutant in the Temecula Valley, but it is not a large problem.
