Air Quality Awareness Week - May 1-7, 2022
Every year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosts Air Quality Awareness Week with the goal of sharing information on air quality and how it affects health, as well as encouraging people to incorporate knowledge of the Air Quality Index (AQI) into their daily lives.
To help increase this awareness, EPA works with AirNow partners – the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Centers for Disease Control ad Prevention (CDC), USA Forest Service, and US Department of State – as well as state, local, and tribal agencies to promote events.
On each day of AQAW, important air quality topics and resources as well as latest developments will be shared. This year’s theme is “Be Air Aware and Prepared!”. Air Quality Awareness Week is a great opportunity to encourage people to use available tools and resources to check air quality forecasts, learn about what causes poor air quality, and determine what they can do to help make our air cleaner – not just during the month but year-round.
Why Is Clean Air Important To Health?
Air in its purest state is best suited for the essential task of sustaining life. Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health. Air pollution can trigger heart attacks or strokes. In fact, one in three Americans has heart disease which can be worsened by air pollution. Breathing clean air can lessen the possibility of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer as well as chronic and acute respiratory illnesses such as asthma. Lower levels of air pollution are better for heart and respiratory health both long- and short-term.
What About Physical Activity Limitations and Air Quality Forecasts?
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The AQI focuses on health affects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.
Think of the AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value of 50 represents good air quality with little potential to affect public health, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.
An AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to the national air quality standard for the pollutant, which is the limit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set to protect public health. AQI values below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for all people as AQI values get higher.
Air quality forecasts provide information to the public about ground-level ozone and PM2.5, which is a measure of particulate matter 2.5 microns or less in size, and their associated health effects. Pollutant-specific health effects statements and cautionary statements are provided along with the forecasts.
A forecast is used to alert those in an area that may be sensitive to elevated levels of ozone so that they can make decisions related to their daily activities. However, the air quality forecast is exactly what it says—it is a forecast. Just as television meteorologists sometimes miss whether it will be cloudy or sunny in our area, sometimes forecasters will miss the actual PM2.5 and ozone category or color code for the day. If there is any question as to how a day will be forecast, every effort is made to err on the side of over-predicting the expected maximum concentration as the intent of this forecasting process is to protect the health of citizens.
What are Common Air Pollutants?
Common outdoor air pollutants include byproducts from automobile emissions like particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone (O3). Other outdoor air pollutants are allergens like pollen and molds.
Common indoor air pollutants include environmental tobacco smoke, fumes from paints and solvents, radon, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, animal hair and dander, molds, bacteria, pollen, and combustion gases.
Why is Air Quality Important for Development?
Reducing air pollution forms the basis of economic growth and future development. Organizations can minimize the number of contaminants entering the air from their facility to become more competitive and successful in their respective fields while preserving the environment. Conservation of air as a natural resource begins by preventing or reducing air pollution.
How You Can Get Involved In Environmental Justice And Air Quality
While groups like the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council provide a place for environmental justice education and discussion within the government, there are ways you can get involved on a more personal, community-focused level.
- Reporting Environmental Violations - Report environmental violations in your community, including improper waste disposal, hazardous activities or substances, polluted drinking water, or harmful industrial pollution.
- Use Government Resources - There is a large amount of information from the EPA and other government-led groups about environmental justice. Taking advantage of educational opportunities can help you be more informed and spread factual news.
- Donate to Local Environmental Justice Organizations - If you have the financial ability, donating to environmental justice organizations is a helpful way to support the cause.
- Get Involved in Participatory Projects - Getting involved in participatory science projects, specifically those focused on your community’s air quality index, can help alert researchers to potential environmental hazards.
To learn more about environment justice and how to get involved, look up organizations in your area and take a look at the EPA’s Environmental Justice page.
Promoting Air Quality Awareness Week In Your Community
Air Quality Awareness Week 2022 has been designated as May 2nd to 6th. This timeframe corresponds with the beginning of ozone season, wildfire season, and World Asthma Day. This creates a great opportunity to engage your community in air quality awareness activities.
Air quality awareness is more than just understanding the Air Quality Index forecast that utilizes the color code system. Air quality awareness includes education about the air in your specific area and what associated health effects might be a concern for your community. Understanding the importance of the air quality forecasts and their direct relation to health impacts will make the difference between allowing children outside to play during Code Orange air quality days or reducing exposure by simply rescheduling an activity fo a time when air quality is expected to be better.
Ways To Engage Your Community On Air Quality Awareness
- Host a Virtual Community Health Fair or other public events that feature air quality awareness information. Coordinate with your local health department, local health providers, and other health-focused groups, to organize exhibits, education sessions, and distribute materials.
- Partner with schools to provide air quality awareness education to students and staff. Contact local high school and junior high school science and health departments to arrange for special presentations about the importance of air quality awareness. Use this opportunity to provide a real-time demonstration of how students can find the current AQI for their areas. The EPA’s www.airnow.gov has several activities for students, parents, and teachers to learn more about air quality.
- Encourage local schools, daycares, and after-school programs to participate in a creative contest commemorating Air Quality Awareness Week. Partner with local businesses or non-profit groups to co-sponsor activities, participant on the review panel, and offer incentives or prizes for the chosen winners.
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