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 AQI
What is AQI?
The AQI is an index for
reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air
is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The
AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or
days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major
air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone,
particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide,
sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA
has established national air quality standards to protect public health.
Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that
pose the greatest threat to human health in this country.
How Does the AQI Work?
Think of the AQI as a
yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater
the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For
example, an AQI value of 50 represents good air quality with little
potential to affect public health, while an AQI value over 300
represents hazardous air quality.
An AQI value of 100
generally corresponds to the national air quality standard for the
pollutant, which is the level EPA has set to protect public health. AQI
values below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI
values are above 100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy-at first
for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values
get higher.
Indexes/Indices of other locations can be found
here.
Info Source:
link
Info Source Date: 10/07/2007 updated.
PM2.5
Particle Pollution (PM10) and (PM2.5)
Particle pollution (also known as "particulate
matter") in the air includes a mixture of solids and liquid droplets.
Some particles are emitted directly; others are formed in the atmosphere
when other pollutants react. Particles come in a wide range of sizes.
Those less than 10 micrometers in diameter (PM10) are so small that they
can get into the lungs, potentially causing serious health problems. Ten
micrometers is smaller than the width of a single human hair.
Fine particles (PM2.5). Particles
less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter are called "fine" particles. These
particles are so small they can be detected only with an electron
microscope. Sources of fine particles include all types of combustion,
including motor vehicles, power plants, residential wood burning, forest
fires, agricultural burning, and some industrial processes.
Coarse dust particles. Particles
between 2.5 and 10 micrometers in diameter are referred to as "coarse."
Sources of coarse particles include crushing or grinding operations, and
dust stirred up by vehicles traveling on roads.
The Legend Table, below, is provided for the detailed values of PM2.5
and their corresponding meanings.
Indexes/Indices of other locations can be found
here.
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Air
Quality Index
Levels of Health Concern
|
Numerical
Value
|
Meaning
|
|
Good |
0-50 |
Air quality is considered
satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk. |
|
Moderate |
51-100 |
Air quality is acceptable; however,
for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small
number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. |
|
Unhealthy for
Sensitive Groups |
101-150 |
Members of sensitive groups may
experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
|
|
Unhealthy |
151-200 |
Everyone may begin to experience
health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious
health effects. |
|
Very Unhealthy |
201-300 |
Health alert: everyone may experience
more serious health effects. |
|
Hazardous |
> 300 |
Health warnings
of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be
affected. |
Info Source:
link
Info Source Date: 10/07/2007 updated
Ozone is a gas composed of three atoms of oxygen.
Ozone occurs both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level.
Ozone can be good or bad, depending on where it is found:
Good Ozone. Ozone occurs naturally
in the Earth's upper atmosphere - 6 to 30 miles above the Earth's
surface - where it forms a protective layer that shields us from the
sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Manmade chemicals are known to destroy
this beneficial ozone. An area where the protective "ozone layer" has
been significantly depleted-for example, over the North or South pole-is
sometimes called "the ozone hole.” The United States, along with over
180 other countries, recognized the threats posed by ozone depletion and
in 1987 adopted a treaty called the Montreal Protocol to phase out the
production and use of ozone-depleting substances. EPA has established
regulations to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals in the United States.
Learn more
Bad Ozone. In the Earth's lower
atmosphere, near ground level, ozone is formed when pollutants emitted
by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants,
and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight. Ozone at
ground level is a harmful air pollutant.
Info Source:
link
Info Source Date: 10/07/2007 updated.
UV
The ozone layer shields the Earth from
harmful UV radiation. Ozone depletion, as well as seasonal
and weather variations, cause different amounts of UV
radiation to reach the Earth at any given time. Developed by
the National Weather Service (NWS) and EPA, the UV Index
predicts the next day's ultraviolet radiation levels on a
1-11+ scale, helping people determine appropriate
sun-protective behaviors.
Info Source:
link
Info Source Date: 10/07/2007 updated.
Atlantic Ocean
The temperature of the Atlantic Ocean is
based on average of the two values read from their
corresponding sites.
The locations are Kings Point, NY and Atlantic City, NJ.
For
all other available locations on the East Coast
click here.
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