What does air quality measurement mean for your health?

May 2-6 is Air Quality Awareness Week.

Air quality is a measurement of the pollutants in the air. It describes the healthiness and safety of the atmosphere. Depending on the air quality for a particular day, it can be tough for some people to breathe.

Air quality is measured using the Air Quality Index (AQI). The index describes how harmful air is based on the levels of four pollutants: sulfur dioxide, ground-level ozone, particle pollution and carbon monoxide. AQI is measured on a scale from 0 to 500. The higher the value, the more hazardous it is to be outdoors.

The AQI is separated into six groups. Each group has its own color that matches up with a certain level of pollution, from least to greatest:

• Green
• Yellow
• Orange
• Red
• Purple
• Maroon

Green AQI values are 50 or less and are considered safe for all groups. Yellow ranges from 51 to 100.

Even when the air quality is acceptable, some pollutants may cause concerns for people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Above 100 (orange) is unhealthy for sensitive groups, but the general public is not likely to be affected.

Once the AQI is over 150 (red), the general public may begin to have health effects from pollutants in the air. More severe health issues are likely once the value is above 200 (purple). The maroon AQI, which is a value above 300, would call for health alerts from the possibility of the entire population experiencing severe reactions.

Tuesday was World Asthma Day.

Asthma affects almost 24 million people, including more than 6 million children, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and can cause people to cough and become breathless and can cause wheezing and tightness in the chest. While medication can help control asthma, it’s important to avoid triggers that can cause an attack. One of those triggers is air pollution.

The AQI can also be followed when considering outdoor activities. Green days are great days to be active outside. However, on yellow days, some unusually sensitive people may have symptoms.

When the AQI is orange, it’s still OK to be active outside, especially for short activities. Longer activities, such as practice for athletic sports, should allow for more breaks and less activity.

Red days mean that people should take more breaks and have less intensity in all outdoor activities. Anything longer or more intense should be performed indoors or be rescheduled. All activities need to be moved indoors or rescheduled for another day when the AQI is purple or higher.

It’s important to note that the ozone is worse on hot summer days, especially in the afternoon and early evening, according to the EPA. Particle pollution can be bad any time of the year, especially during calm weather, which is when air pollution can build up. Busy roads, areas near factories and smoke in the air can also experience higher particle levels.

Cox Media Group