Air Quality
Air Quality & Abating Pollution
Check the local air quality here from Air Beat or here from Airnow.gov. Did you know that certain levels of ground-level ozone and particulate matter are deleterious to health for everyone, especially those with asthma? The EPA tests the Air Quality Index (AQI) on a scale of 0-200 (good, moderate, unhealthy, and very unhealthy). When the air quality rating is over 100, be sure to close windows and spend less time outside.
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Here is a report of 2008 data from the EPA of the annual AQI in Suffolk County. Out of 313 monitored days, the AQI was “moderate” on 106 days and “unhealthy for sensitive groups” on 1 day.
Air Pollutants that are dangerous to human health:
OZONE – Much of the ground level ozone in our air comes from car exhaust.
Particulate Matter (PM) -Can get deep in the lungs and cause serious health problems.
Sulfur Dioxides- Mostly emitted from fossil fuel combustion
Lead- The major sources of lead emissions to the air today are ore and metals processing and leaded aviation gasoline.
Other Air Quality Information:
Environmental Health info for middle school students
Air Quality Testing in Dorchester
