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.