Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in ‘poor’ category: AQI EXPLAINED
The national Capital’s air quality index (AQI), on 20/10/2020, continued to remain in the poor category.
LEARNING FROM HOME/WOTHOUT CLASSES/BASICS
The air quality index (AQI) is an index for reporting air quality on a daily basis. It is a measure of how air pollution affects one’s health within a short time period. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants, for which national air quality standards have been established to safeguard public health.
- 1. Ground-level ozone
- 2. Particle pollution/particulate matter (PM2.5/pm 10)
- 3. Carbon Monoxide
- 4. Sulfur dioxide
- 5. Nitrogen dioxide
The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concerns. AQI quickly disseminates air quality information in real-time.
Every day monitors record concentrations of the major pollutants. These raw measurements are converted into a separate AQI value for each pollutant
Air Quality Index Categories
Good (0–50) – Minimal Impact
Satisfactory (51–100) – May cause minor breathing difficulties in sensitive people.
Moderately polluted (101–200) – May cause breathing difficulties in people with lung disease like asthma, and discomfort to people with heart disease, children and older adults.
Poor (201–300) – May cause breathing difficulties in people on prolonged exposure, and discomfort to people with heart disease
Very Poor (301–400) – May cause respiratory illness in people on prolonged exposure. Effect may be more pronounced in people with lung and heart diseases.
Severe (401-500) – May cause respiratory issues in healthy people, and serious health issues in people with lung/heart disease. Difficulties may be experienced even during light physical activity.
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