In this article, we will try to explain the utility of the Air Quality Index and how can we use it to simplify the information that is presented to us about the pollution levels in our city.
What are the Air Quality Standards?
The amount of air pollution in our cities is one of the most important environmental issues of today. Although we still have a long way to go before reaching a global agreement on this issue, it is true that over the last 50 years there has been an improvement in climate conditions.
Air quality standards are standards that determine what level of particulate matter can be present in the air we breathe. These particulates are responsible for respiratory and/or cardiovascular diseases, which are the main causes of death in our country.
The best way to maintain air quality is by using a good air purifier such as this API Air Pollution Detector.
Air quality has been improving ever since the first standards were agreed upon, and they have expanded over the years to incorporate many more pollutants.
The air quality index
The overall index allows a quick assessment of current and projected levels of pollution throughout a day or a week. The AQI is determined by combining national pollutant standards with forecasted weather patterns. It also uses forecasted weather data from the previous day or week to determine when AQI values should start to decline. Lastly, it sets different thresholds for each pollutant depending on its health effects or toxicity.
The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) developed an updated version of these AQI guidelines in 2006 (Version 2).
This new version was developed collaboratively by scientists from NIEHS, EPA, and other research centers around the country. They built on the previous system (Version 1) but also included new information on toxicity thresholds, more precise pollutant data, updated weather forecasts, and a more user-friendly format.
This is how the Air Quality API works:
By using this system: the AQI can take any value between 0 and 500. We use three color scales—green, yellow, and red—to quickly convey these values to people who may want to know what their air quality is like. However, these scales are not just related to color, they are also related to how healthy or unhealthy it is to be outside during certain hours of the day.
While Version 1 focused on presenting air pollution data for fine particulate matter
This API will retrieve the current, historical, and forecasted Air Quality Index of any location in the world.
To make use of it, you must first:
1- Go to Air Quality Index API and simply click on the button “Subscribe for free” to start using the API.
2- After signing up in Zyla API Hub, you’ll be given your personal API key. Using this one-of-a-kind combination of numbers and letters, you’ll be able to use, connect, and manage APIs!
3- Employ the different API endpoints depending on what you are looking for.
4- Once you meet your needed endpoint, make the API call by pressing the button “run” and see the results on your screen.
