How to find out the quality of the air we breathe? Air Quality Indices

Air quality directly influences our health, it has become one of the most common causes of premature death, it does not only affect people with asthma or respiratory diseases, but depending on the levels of poor quality it can be harmful to us all. But, how can we know the degree of contamination to which we are exposed? In other words, how to measure air quality?

First of all, since not everyone has an advanced knowledge of chemistry, we are overwhelmed with information about the compounds that can be harmful. We talk about pollution or contamination in general. We know carbon monoxide, we are increasingly aware of the damage of suspended microparticles and we refer negatively to ozone. On television we are told about Nitrogen, or Sulfur Oxides. In addition, we hear that in our homes and workplaces there may be volatile organic compounds, such as formaldehydes, toluenes,…

To bring order to the analysis of air quality, an index called AQI (Air Quality Index) was designed. The index has a range from 0 to 500, with higher numbers indicating poorer quality of breathed air. The following table shows the categories and concentration ranges. These levels are based on WHO recommendations.

Here are the health implications of each of the 6 AQI levels:

1. Good (0-50): Air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk to human health. However, sensitive individuals, such as those with asthma or other respiratory conditions, may still experience some discomfort.
2. Moderate (51-100): Air quality is acceptable, but some pollutants may be moderately elevated. People with respiratory diseases, children, and the elderly may experience some respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat.
3. Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150): This level indicates that the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as people with asthma, heart or other respiratory diseases, children, and the elderly. They may experience more severe respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and shortness of breath.
4. Unhealthy (151-200): Air quality is considered unhealthy and everyone may start to experience some adverse health effects such as respiratory symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, and irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat . Healthy people may also experience reduced exercise capacity and other health impacts.
5. Very Unhealthy (201-300): The air quality is considered very unhealthy, and everyone is likely to experience serious health effects, including respiratory distress, including coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath. Children, the elderly, and people with underlying health conditions are particularly vulnerable.
6. Dangerous (301-500): Air quality is considered dangerous and everyone can experience serious health effects including respiratory failure, hospitalization and even premature death. It is recommended that people stay indoors and avoid all physical activity outdoors.

The state of the air can be obtained from many sources. On smartphones, weather applications already offer this index for the measurement source closest to our location.

For example, for iPhone users: Access your iPhone settings and follow these steps: Tap “Settings”; look for the Maps app to access settings options; look for the “climate” section and within this we find “air quality index” right next to it you will see a slider button, and place it in the activated position.

There are also different apps that can be searched in the stores just looking for AQI.

Where do these indices come from? There is a wide network of public meters throughout the territory and it is also complemented by a network of voluntary centers that also publish the measurements of these compounds in real time.

At the time of publishing this news, we observe how there are hundreds of stations of cities showing Unhealthy scores 150-200 mostly from PM2.5, about 20 times WHO recommendations.

In similar situations that unfortunately are repeated daily in all our cities, how can we protect ourselves?
• Wear a mask outside
• Close your windows to keep polluted air outside
• Use an air purifier
• Avoid outdoor exercise

At Puroh, we care to improve your life in these types of situations. Our devices incorporate a meter that tells you exactly the quality of the air in your room. In addition, we actively purify, without filtering. With a radical reaction called Open-Air Factor, considered the natural detergent of the atmosphere. Puroh neutralizes and mineralizes these particles into healthy compounds like water vapor or oxygen.