The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) is used as a rough measure of the level of air pollution based on the relative amount of certain pollutants in the air detected at a monitoring station over a specific time interval.
Pollutants measured:
(1) ozone
(2) nitrogen dioxide
(3) sulfur dioxide
(4) carbon monoxide
(5) fine particulates (PM10)
(6) visibility (airborne particle index)
|
Pollutant |
Standard Level |
Averaging Time |
Calculation |
|
ozone |
100 ppb |
1 hour |
maximum 1 hour reading over 24 hours |
|
nitrogen dioxide |
125 ppb |
1 hour |
maximum 1 hour reading over 24 hours |
|
sulfur dioxide |
200 ppb |
1 hour |
maximum 1 hour reading over 24 hours |
|
carbon monoxide |
9 ppm |
8 hour |
maximum of preceding 16 rolling 8 hour averages |
|
fine particulates |
50 µg per cubic meter |
24 hour |
current 24 hours |
|
visibility |
2.35 |
1 hour |
maximum 1 hour reading over 24 hours |
where:
• ppm = parts per million
• ppb = parts per billion
air quality index =
= (pollutant concentration over time period) / (pollutant standard level) * 100
overall station index =
= MAX(air quality index for all 6 pollutants)
Interpretation:
• minimum index: 0
• maximum index: > 200
• The higher the level, the poorer the air quality.
• People with lung or heart problems are advised to reduce outside activity when the index is > 100.
|
AQI |
Air Quality |
|
0 to 33 |
very good |
|
34 – 66 |
good |
|
67 – 99 |
fair |
|
100 – 149 |
poor |
|
>= 150 |
very poor |
Purpose: To calculate the air quality index (AQI) as a measure of air pollution.
Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Pulmonology
Objective: laboratory tests
ICD-10: Z57.3,
