Seeing an orange or a purple alert and deciding to abandon your daily morning walk or your jogging session sounds terrible. The questions coming to your mind bother your peace, and anxiety sets in. Why such inconvenience when you aren’t the reason? You want to know the reasons for this air quality fiasco. First, let us understand a bit more about the AQI (Air Quality Index).
AQI stands for the Air Quality Index. This index shows us how safe our air quality is. By taking key pollutants, such as PM2.5 & PM10 (these are microscopic particles), ozone (ground-level smog), NO2 (from burning fuel), SO2, and CO. AQI converts them into colour-coded 0-500 category that shows Good to Hazardous; in some cases, it goes beyond these numbers.
Particulate Matter that is PM2.5 and PM10 are inhalable particles. PM10 is 10 micrometres. PM2.5 are particles that are smaller than 2.5 micrometres.
Indian NAQI includes : the additional indicator that UK and USAs Air Quality Index doesn’t have is other indicator: Ammonia (NH) & Lead (Pb).
The purpose of AQI is for public health guidance. It works as a reminder especially for those that suffer from health conditions to stay in and stay safe. Green indicates little to no risk. A Red indicates ‘Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.’
For those who want to remain healthy must make every effort to bring this to Green. Only a combined effort from everyone can bring a big difference in air quality. Lately, New Delhi, India has been in the news about its hazardous air quality due to the pollution.
Bryan Johnson, a well-known American entrepreneur, visited India. During his podcast interview with Nikhil Kamat, he had to leave midway. Later, his video clips went viral. In one of the videos his words about improving the air quality still echo: ‘Improving air quality in India is better than curing cancer.’
Surprisingly, there are other regions in the world where the air quality has been disastrous.Not to undermine the negative effects of the pollution on the people.
Although, political climate may be as per majority’s liking, it does not compensate for the adverse effects that the air quality poses on everyone.
The Origins of AQI and the scepticism based on its accuracy
AQIs concept was laid by the (Environment Protection Agency) EPAs predecessor in the form of National Air Pollution Control in the 1960s. However, the AQIs formal development was between 1970s-90s.
AQI was a policy to let people know whether air quality met legal standards. While India uses NAQI, China has its own 环境空气质量指数 Huánjìng kōngqì zhí liàng zhǐshù that translates to Ambient Air Quality Index, the European Environmental Agency uses European Air Quality Index (EAQI), and South Africa has its own SAAQS. Based on these regions’ varied geography and landscape, their readings differ.
Reliability, Accuracy, and Limitations of AQI:
These points show the differences. The data for AQI comes from the physical monitoring stations. A single station represents miles of varied locations. The area in its neighbourhood might be clean or polluted.
Daily air quality reports are in AQI. Although, there is a way to get nearly real-time air quality, there is a delay in receiving the updates. To put it simply, these are the following issues linked with the AQIs that could create scepticism: Sensors are placed near the highway or barbecue shops. The issue of placing it too high and not the usual 2-4 meters for human breathing zone. Irregular checks in maintenance and dusty sensors could cause incorrect readings. The spider webs or rust due to oxidation in the metallic parts of the machine, and corrosion could hamper the readings. Layering the sensors with smoke overtime. Extreme heat, cold, flooding, and strong vibrations due to vehicles can also affect the readings. In terms of technological issues, we notice software bugs, cheap, outdated sensors, and outdated software.
All in all, the following points cover the issues connected with the AQIs limitations:
- Clogged sensors
- Calibration and Maintenance
- Placement and Siting
- Power and Speed
- Environment
- Human error
- The Technological standard
Power, sensitivity, speed of data transfer and evaluation could also be considered as a factor in the accuracy of the AQI. Please see the following video to better understand this issue:
Despite the scepticism about its limitations, one must concentrate on its positives. If you remember the time in the past when we, as a society, decided to act on multiple issues ourselves. The problem of unclean beaches worked better with cleanliness drive. The plastic problem got a dent when young and old came together and started publicising the cause and helped to clean their neighbourhood. Common people came up with incredible ideas and initiated a new era of plastic recycling in unique ways.
I congratulate the people of New Delhi and Mumbai for taking the action and letting their leaders know what is their priority. Bad air quality does not discriminate. This appears to be a starting point for electing level-headed, educated, and smart individuals as our leaders and getting over with the corrupt, haters, warmongers, those that relate bad habits as a part of culture, and those that lack civic sense. Whether it is what it appears to be or not, time will tell.
