Air quality index

Air quality indexes have been devised for categorizing the air quality measurements of several individual pollutants by one composite number. The index used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is called the Pollutant Standards Index (PSl) (Table 4-6). 

Returning the attention to the developed world, Fig. 19.5 shows selected indicators of the emission of NO in the EU15 countries, the US air quality index and the violation of NO concentration standards in Japan for all emission sources in relation to 1996 values. There is no air quality indicator covering all EU member states, but... 

Data obtained from Patient Exposure and the Air Quality Index. U.S. E.PA. March 2006... 

Air Quality Index Level of Health Concern Color (AQI)... 

Pollution, Revised air quahty standards for particle pollution and updates to the air quality index (AQI), 2013. Available from http //www.epa.gov/pm/2012/decfsstandards.pdf. 

Air Quality Index (AQI) Numerical index used for reporting severity of air pollution levels to the public. The AQI incorporates five criteria pollutants — ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide —into a single index, which is used for weather reporting and public advisories. 

Airborne toxic chemicals may pose a risk of toxic effects directly on the lungs as well as toxic effects on other organs and tissues after entering the bloodstream through the lungs. The reference dose for an air pollutant is termed the reference concentration, or RfC. The reference concentration differs from the reference dose in that it is the actual concentration of a chemical in the air, not the average daily dose of chemical that enters the bloodstream. The air qnality index (AQI) is an estimate of the risk of effects from air pollutants, particularly in people with preexisting conditions such as asthma. The air quality index is calculated as the ratio of the concentration of an air pollutant to its reference concentration multiplied by 100 ... 

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