What is the outdoor Air Quality Index (AQI) and what does each of the colors mean?
The Air Quality Index is the system used to warn the public when the air pollution is dangerous. The AQI is divided into six color code categories and advice to go along with it: • GREEN- Good; no advisories. • YELLOW- Moderate; unusually sensitive individuals should consider limited prolonged outdoor exertion. • ORANGE- Unhealthy for sensitive groups; children, active adults and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. • RED- Unhealthy; children, active adults and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. • PURPLE- Very Unhealthy; children, active adults and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid outdoor exertion; everyone else should limit outdoor exertion. • MAROON- Hazardous; everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors.
