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Air quality here in Syracuse, NY is a '172' = unhealthy.

toad wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 06, 2023 12:04 pm

Air quality here in Syracuse, NY is a '172' = unhealthy.

What does the number indicate, and how is it derived or measured?

Thanks

Here in south-west Ontario, the sky has been a dirty, smokey colour for the past two weeks.

It's been Smokey here for a few days.

The haze from the fires goes as far south as Indianapolis and Cincinnati

"Air quality here in Syracuse, NY is a '172' = unhealthy."

So Syracuse, NY is having a Northern California summer and fall. We were wearing mask before COVID.

We have a 2400 acres fire in Grayling that's been causing us haze. No issue with Canadian fires.

A pall of smoke from the fires is hanging over our town.

Toronto might be getting thick smoke soon. Especially if you are slightly East of it. Where I am the air quality is moderate. If the situation just to the North of Sudbury and North Bay were to get worse in the next few days, so will the local air quality. Anyone know when the wind will start coming out of the southwest?

https://firesmoke.ca/

https://www.lioapplications.lrc.gov.on. ... cale=en-CA

The haze and smoky skies from the CA fires have been with us for the better part of two weeks or so now, and occasional days in the weeks before. Big differences in sunsets / sunrises, amoungst other types of the usual visuals in NMI.

Kind of makes me wonder if that has anything factually to do with the (lack of) rain patterns in the northern 3rd of the lower peninsula for nearly the past month or so...

Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics
Versión en Español

What is the U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI)?
The U.S. AQI is EPA’s index for reporting air quality.

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 or below represents good air quality, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

For each pollutant an AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to an ambient air concentration that equals the level of the short-term national ambient air quality standard for protection of public health. AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.

The AQI is divided into six categories. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. Each category also has a specific color. The color makes it easy for people to quickly determine whether air quality is reaching unhealthy levels in their communities.

AQI Basics for Ozone and Particle Pollution
Daily AQI Color Levels of Concern Values of Index Description of Air Quality
Green Good 0 to 50 Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
Yellow Moderate 51 to 100 Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Orange Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 101 to 150 Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
Red Unhealthy 151 to 200 Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Purple Very Unhealthy 201 to 300 Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
Maroon Hazardous 301 and higher Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.
See the Activity Guides to learn ways to protect your health when the AQI reaches unhealthy levels.

Five major pollutants
EPA establishes an AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act. Each of these pollutants has a national air quality standard set by EPA to protect public health:

ground-level ozone
particle pollution (also known as particulate matter, including PM2.5 and PM10)
carbon monoxide
sulfur dioxide
nitrogen dioxide
Using the Air Quality Index
Technical Assistance Document for the Reporting of Daily Air Quality – the Air Quality Index (AQI)