Air Quality Monitoring News - Envirotech Online

Air Quality Monitoring

Now that Beijing's Olympic year is over, the air quality of the capital city will not be allowed to deteriorate again, it has been claimed.Du Shaozhong, spok...

Beijing: Good air quality will be maintained

Air Quality Monitoring

Environmental campaigners in the Iranian capital city of Tehran have claimed that the city's birds are migrating to safer climes due to the area's poor air q...

Poor air quality 'sees exodus of Tehran's birds'

Air Quality Monitoring

Air quality in New York could be boosted by new measures that were announced this week.The New York State Environmental Board has adopted new rules which are...

New York introduces 'tougher' air quality standards

Dust Monitoring

There has been a marked improvement in air quality in Seoul, it has been announced.Figures released by the South Korea's Research Institute of Public Health...

Air quality 'healthier' in South Korean capital

Air Quality Monitoring

The air quality of many of the Philippines' cities is improving, according to the country's government. Lito Atienza, Filipino environmental secretary, said...

Philippines' air quality 'improving'

Air Quality Monitoring

The air quality of Hong Kong is as bad as when records first began to be kept, it has been claimed.Figures from the country's Environmental Protection Depart...

Hong Kong's air quality 'worse than ever'

Air Quality Monitoring

Since being declared as the world's most polluted city by a 1992 United Nations report, Mexico City has cleaned up its act when it comes to air quality, it h...

Air quality in Mexico 'improving'

Air Quality Monitoring

The air of all 13 counties of the US state of Indiana has been declared as having higher than recommended levels of pollutants, it has been reported.After co...

Air quality 'not good enough' in Indiana

Air Quality Monitoring

The air quality of Liverpool, the 2008 capital of culture, is at its poorest levels yet, it has been claimed.A new report has found that pollution in certain...

Liverpool's air pollution 'reaches record levels'

Air Quality Monitoring

Plans by the outgoing Bush administration to relax the laws on emissions from US power plants in rural areas have been cancelled, it has been revealed.Despit...

US air quality revision 'abandoned'

An air quality index (AQI) is used by government agencies^[1] to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become.^[2]^[3] AQI information is obtained by averaging readings from an air quality sensor, which can increase due to vehicle traffic, forest fires, or anything that can increase air pollution. Pollutants tested include particulates, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, among others.

Public health risks increase as the AQI rises, especially affecting children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular issues. During these times, governmental bodies generally encourage people to reduce physical activity outdoors, or even avoid going out altogether. The use of face masks such as cloth masks may also be recommended.

Different countries have their own air quality indices, corresponding to different national air quality standards. Some of these are Canada's Air Quality Health Index, Malaysia's Air Pollution Index, and Singapore's Pollutant Standards Index.