Air Quality Index (AQI) Basics

WHAT IS THE U.S. AIR QUALITY INDEX (AQI)?

The U.S. AQI is EPA's index for reporting air quality.

HOW DOES THE AQI WORK?

The U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI) is EPA's tool for communicating outdoor air quality and health. The AQI includes six color-coded categories, each corresponding to a range of index values. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.

For each pollutant, an AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to an ambient air concentration that equals the short-term national ambient air quality standard for protection of public health. AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is unhealthy: first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.

The AQI is divided into six categories. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. Each category also has a specific color. The color makes it easy for people to quickly determine whether air quality is reaching unhealthy levels in their communities.

AQI BASICS FOR OZONE AND PARTICLE POLLUTION

*Sensitive groups include children, teens, older adults, pregnant women, and people with heart, lung, or other chronic diseases.

More info

View the Air Monitoring Q&A for more information on the following topics:

• About IVAN Air Monitoring
• About the data
• Air quality and health
• Getting involved
• Technical information
• Other information and resources

Report an air problem

If you are experiencing an emergency, call 9-1-1.

Step 1. Report to Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

Call 1-800-334-ODOR (6367) as son as you notice a problem with air quality. Their website also offers an opportunity to submit an online complaint and lists additional complaints that are outside of their jurisdiction they may not be able to respond to.

Step 2. Report on IVAN.

After contacting BAAQMD, we recommend that you also submit a record of the problem here on BVHP- IVAN, including a note that BAAQMD has been contacted. This ensures that the Environmental Justice Task Force is aware of the complaint and that the complaint is documented on the BVHP-IVAN website.