How To Read The AQI Scale
The Air Quality Index is a standardized scale that turns measurements of pollutants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), ozone, and nitrogen dioxide into one easy-to-read number. Broadly, 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 moderate, 101-150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, and above 300 hazardous. The category shown above for Coimbatore places today's reading on that scale.
What Affects Air Quality Day To Day
AQI readings shift with traffic volume, construction activity, industrial emissions, seasonal factors like crop burning in nearby regions, and weather conditions such as wind speed and rainfall, which can either disperse or trap pollutants near ground level. That's why the same city can have noticeably different air quality on different days of the same week.
Simple Precautions On Higher-AQI Days
On days when the AQI is elevated, it helps to limit prolonged outdoor exercise, especially for children, older adults, and anyone with asthma or another respiratory condition, and to keep windows closed during the highest-traffic hours of the day. Checking this page before an outdoor plan, rather than relying on how the air looks, is a more reliable way to judge the day's air quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the AQI number actually mean?
The Air Quality Index converts several pollutant measurements, such as PM2.5, PM10, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, into a single number on a standard scale. A lower AQI means cleaner air; a higher AQI means more polluted air and greater potential health impact.
Is a single city-wide AQI reading accurate for my exact neighbourhood?
Not perfectly. AQI readings come from monitoring stations at specific points in a city, and pollution levels can vary somewhat between a busy main road and a quieter residential area. Treat the city-wide figure as a general guide rather than an exact reading for your street.
Who should be most careful on high-AQI days?
Children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with existing respiratory or heart conditions are generally more sensitive to poor air quality and should be more cautious about prolonged outdoor activity when the AQI is elevated.
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