Air. We all breathe it every day, and it is essential for our very survival. The air we breathe should be as clean and unpolluted as possible. There is an excellent way of gauging how healthy or unhealthy air is. It’s called the air quality index (AQI). It reports and grades daily air quality, and it helps people understand how their local air quality impacts their health. Numbers are typically gathered by local organizations and then sent to the EPA.
Why the Air Quality Index Is Important
It is important to breathe healthy air; especially those who are sensitive to unhealthy air, like people with chronic respiratory health conditions. Knowledge is power, and once you are aware of the air quality indoors and out, you can take proper measures to make your air quality as healthy as it can be. In the process, you can improve the health of everyone who breathes the air in your home.
Levels of the AQI
Rather than being either “clean” or “dirty,” air quality ranges along a type of spectrum in terms of how clean/healthy or polluted/unhealthy it is. This spectrum It is divided into six categories:
Good: Ranges from 0-50 and shown as the color green. Under these conditions, the air pollution level conveys little to no risk on humans. This quality of air is deemed satisfactory for humans to breathe.
Moderate: Ranges from 51-100 and shown as the color yellow. Although air quality is considered acceptable when in the Moderate category, there is a chance that there is a moderate health risk for a limited number of people.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: Ranges from 101-150 and shown as the color orange. This category might seem alarming, but the truth is that most people who are in good health will probably not be affected. Certain people could be negatively affected by air in this category though. Children, elderly people and those who have lung disease will suffer more due to the increased number of particles in the air.
Unhealthy: Ranges from 151-200 and shown as the color red. At this point on the AQI, all people may suffer negative health impact, and the sensitive groups mentioned above will suffer even more.
Very Unhealthy: Ranges from 200-300 and shown as the color purple. Air that is of this level of unhealthiness could cause everyone to suffer more significant health issues.
Hazardous: Ranges from 301-500 and shown as the color maroon. As the worst and most unhealthy category of the AQI, the entire population in the area is most likely affected.
What You Can Do About Your Air Quality
The air quality index goes from 0 to 500 along a spectrum or continuum. As the air quality index number gets higher, air quality is deteriorating and health risk increases. Any air quality index number below 100 is typically considered to be acceptable.
No matter what the air quality conditions are like in your local area, our air filters can help to improve air quality in your home. Feel free to shop our site or give us a call to discover how our high-quality air filters can help you and your family breathe easier.
Want to learn more about the air quality index and air pollution? Visit the following sources:
