Author Topic: AIR QUALITY  (Read 4305 times)

KC Snellgrove

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AIR QUALITY
« on: February 11, 2016, 10:54:37 PM »
Dearest fellow Beavers’ - I am sending this information because it is very important. My sister-in-law granddaughter was having her baby in Salt Lake City, Utah so we headed that way from Las Vegas. By the time we got to Provo the sky was grey and I began to smell the pollution, however, as we approached Salt Lake it significantly worsened. They sky was grey and the lights had a large glow around them. Someone told it was severe poor quality of air with an inversion, which meant I had to leave since my Westy has Pulmonary Fibrosis (scaring of the lungs a genetic disorder). She already has lived over 4 years longer than expected and I have not appreciated any significant decline. So, I would recommend before you enter cities to check the AIR QUAITY.  GO TO: airnow.org to check on an area’s air quality. Here is what it means:

Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics: The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health. Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country.

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 represents good air quality with little potential to affect public health, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality. An AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to the national air quality standard for the pollutant, which is the level EPA has set to protect public health. AQI values below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy-at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.
Understanding the AQI: The purpose of the AQI is to help you understand what local air quality means to your health. To make it easier to understand, the AQI is divided into six categories:

Air Quality Index
(AQI) Values   Levels of Health Concern   Colors
When the AQI is in this range:   ..air quality conditions are:   ...as symbolized by this color:
0 to 50   Good   Green
51 to 100   Moderate   Yellow
101 to 150   Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups   Orange
151 to 200   Unhealthy   Red
201 to 300   Very Unhealthy   Purple
301 to 500   Hazardous   Maroon

Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. The six levels of health concern and what they mean are:
   "Good" AQI is 0 to 50. Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
   "Moderate" AQI is 51 to 100. Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.
   "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" AQI is 101 to 150. Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air.
   "Unhealthy" AQI is 151 to 200. Everyone may begin to experience some adverse health effects, and members of the sensitive groups may experience more serious effects.
   "Very Unhealthy" AQI is 201 to 300. This would trigger a health alert signifying that everyone may experience more serious health effects.
   "Hazardous" AQI greater than 300. This would trigger a health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.


This is very important for people with heart and lung disease - conditions!

KC Snellgrove  ;)
2005 Beaver Monterey Olivia Jean
The following users thanked this post: LaMonte Monnell, Jerry Emert

Jerald Cate

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Re: AIR QUALITY
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2016, 03:10:30 AM »
KC,

Thanks for the info on air quality it was very helpful, we have a Westy with similar problems.  Also, I believe the website should be airnow.gov vs. airnow.org

I sent you a PM also please check your messages.

Thanks,
Bruce Cate