Air Quality Index Explanation: As NCR fights the AQI's decline, learn what readings of 200, 300, 400, 450+ mean for your lungs.

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Understanding the Air Quality Index: What the AQI Reading Means for Your Health in NCR

What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)?

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is an important tool used to report daily air quality levels, showing how air pollution can affect health in the short term. AQI’s primary goal is to inform the public about local air quality and its potential health impacts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States calculates the AQI based on five major air pollutants, which comply with national air quality standards intended to protect public health:

Low level ozone
Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10)
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide

As AQI values rise, so do concerns about air pollution and related health risks. Many developed countries have used the AQI concept for more than three decades, allowing real-time distribution of air quality information.

How is AQI calculated?

Different countries use different scales to report air quality. In the United States and India, the AQI operates on a 500-point scale, where a rating of 0 to 50 is considered “good,” and a rating of 301 to 500 is defined as “dangerous.” Daily monitoring stations measure concentrations of major pollutants. These raw data points are converted into individual AQI values for each pollutant using standard formulas established by the EPA. The highest value between these is reported as the overall AQI for the day.

AQI Categories and Their Results

Good (0–50): Less impact on health.
Satisfactory (51–100): May cause shortness of breath in sensitive individuals.
Moderately Contaminated (101–200): It can lead to difficulty breathing in those with lung diseases such as asthma, and discomfort in children and adults.
The Poor (201-300): Prolonged exposure may cause breathing difficulties and discomfort in those with heart conditions.
Very Poor (301–400): Long-term exposure can lead to respiratory infections, especially in those with pre-existing lung or heart conditions.
Difficult (401-500): It can cause respiratory problems in healthy people, while it mainly affects those with lung or heart diseases; even mild exercise can increase the severity.

Importance of AQI Monitoring

Understanding daily air pollution levels is important, especially for people with health problems exacerbated by poor air quality. AQI has many objectives, including:

Comparing air quality in different places and cities.
Identifying inadequate monitoring systems and faulty standards.
Analyzing changes in air quality, whether improvement or deterioration.
To inform the public about environmental conditions, especially to benefit those with health problems related to environmental pollution.

Who is Most Vulnerable to Air Pollution?

Certain groups are at greater risk of health problems related to air pollution:

People with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.
Children and youth.
Active people of all ages who spend a lot of time outdoors exercising or working.
Some otherwise healthy people are very sensitive to ozone.

By staying informed about AQI levels, residents of the National Capital Region (NCR) can take appropriate measures to protect their health, especially during periods of high pollution.

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Air Quality Index Explanation: As NCR fights the AQI’s decline, learn what readings of 200, 300, 400, 450+ mean for your lungs.