The Air Quality Index 3/25/2010
What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)?
The AQI is a guide for reporting daily air quality. Its purpose is to help individuals understand what local air quality conditions can mean to their health. The AQI indicates how clean or polluted the air is in a particular area and identifies potential health impacts. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. DEQ uses the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards to protect against harmful health effects.
Things you can do to help improve Air Quality:
- Conserve energy-at work, home, everywhere (i.e., set air conditioner at a higher temperature).
- Be careful not to spill gasoline while fueling and tighten your gas cap securely.
- Refuel cars and trucks after dusk.
- Keep car, boat, and other engines tuned up.
- Carpool to work or use public transportation. Bicycle or walk when possible.
- Mow lawns either in the morning or evening.
- Keep tires properly inflated.
Tips to reduce your exposure to unhealthy levels of air pollution:
- If the weather is warm, run your air conditioner which recirculates air. Turn the fan blower on manually so it keeps running and filtering the air in your home.
- Wash or change filters on air conditioners and/or furnaces every three months. Use high efficiency filters, when possible.
- If you do not have filters on your heating and/or cooling system and there is smoke in your home, you can use portable air purifiers to remove particles (avoid using air purifiers that produce ozone).
- Stay well-hydrated by drinking lots of water and fruit juices. Remaining hydrated helps dilute the phlegm in the respiratory tract making it easier to cough smoke particles out. Avoid caffeine products and alcohol as they have a dehydrating effect.
- If you use an asthma inhaler, be sure to have it on hand when the AQI is yellow, orange, or red.
- If you have contact lenses - switch to eyeglasses in a smoky environment.
Where can I get more information about the Air Quality Index?
Online, go to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality's Air Quality Index web site at: www.deq.idaho.gov or by phone, dial 1-208-373-0502.