This project's goal is to increase New Yorkers' awareness to their air quality. We present real-time estimates of air quality measures at a hyperlocal level. Users can interact with the current measurements on our color-coded map, and also have the ability to see a time series of air quality at any selected location.
Air quality, as defined by the EPA's Air Quality Index (AQI), measures how clean or polluted the air is. Depending on the level of the AQI, there are various negative effects on one's health that could be experience. Certain people may experience more severe problems depending on whether or not they have pre-existing conditions, such as asthma or pulmonary / cardiovascular issues.
The AQI is calculated for 5 different pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter (PM 2.5 et al.) carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Here we present the first two (considered the largest air quality threats) and a summary level AQI. The scale below details the levels of air quality that corresponds to different health effects.
| Level of Health Concern | AQI | PM 2.5 | O3 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | 0 - 50 | 0 - 12 | 0 - 60 | Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk |
| Moderate | 51 - 100 | 12.1 - 35.4 | 60 - 75 | Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution. |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | 101 - 150 | 35.5 - 55.4 | 75 - 95 | Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. |
| Unhealthy | 151 - 200 | 55.5 - 150.4 | 95 - 115 | Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. |
| Very Unhealthy | 201 - 300 | 150.5 - 250.4 | 115 - 375 | Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected. |
| Hazardous | 301 - 500 | 250.5 - 500 | - | Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects |
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
If you have questions or want to contribute to the project, contact ForecastAer at forecastaer1 [at] gmail [dot] com.