A Review on Air Quality Indexing System

Abstract

Air quality index (AQI) or air pollution index (API) is commonly used to report the level of severity of air pollution to public. A number of methods were dev eloped in the past by various researchers/environ mental agencies for determination of AQI or API but there is no universally accepted method exists, which is appropriate for all situations. Different method uses different aggregation function in calculating AQI or API and also considers different types and numbers of pollutants. The intended uses of AQI or API are to identify the poor air quality zones and public reporting for severity of exposure of poor air quality. Most of the AQI or API indices can be broad ly classify as single pollutant index or multipollut ant index with different aggregation method. Every indexing method has its own characteristic strengths and weaknesses that affect its suitability for particu lar applications. This paper attempt to present a review of all the major air quality indices developed worldwide.Key words: Air pollution, Air quality index, Health, Environmental factors, Literature review IntroductIonAir pollution is global environmental problem that influences mostly health of urban population. Over the past few decades, epidemiological studies have dem onstrated adverse health effects due to higher ambient levels of air pollution. Studies have indicated that rep eated exposures to ambient air pollutants over a pro longed period of time increases the risk of being sus ceptible to air borne diseases such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and lung cancer (WHO, 2009). Air pollution has been consistently linked to substantial burdens of illhealth in developed and devel oping countries Bruce et al., 2000;Smith et al., 2000; WHO, 1999;Schwartz, 1994).Globally, many cities continuously assess air quality using monitoring networks designed to measure and record air pollutant concentrations at several points deemed to represent exposure of the population to these pollutants. Current research indicates that guide lines of recommended pollution values cannot be regar ded as threshold values below which a zero adverse response may be expected. Therefore, the simplistic comparison of observed values against guidelines may mislead unless suitably quantified. In recent years, air quality information are provided by governments to the public comes in a number of forms like annual reports, environment reviews, and site or subject specific anal yses/report. These are generally having available or access to limited audiences and also require time, inter est and necessary background to digest its contents. Presently, governments throughout the world have also started to use realtime access to sophisticated database management programs to provide their citizens with access to sitespecific air quality index/air pollution index and its probable health consequences. Thus, a more sophisticated tool has been developed to commu nicate the health risk of ambient concentrations using air pollution index (API) or air quality i...

Integral indicators as tools for air quality assessment

“…A key tool in this effort is the Air Quality Index or AQI. It informs the public of the local level of ambient air pollution, and the potential health risk it would [2].…”

“…The first air quality index was introduced The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started to use an AQI in 1976 (the original name was Pollutant Standard Index -PSI) for use by States and local agencies on a voluntary basis. The aim was to create certain homogeneity among the 14 different indices used by more than 50 urban areas in USA and Canada at that time [2]. The Clean Air Act (the law that defines EPA's responsibilities for protecting and improving the nation's air quality), which was last amended in 1990, requires EPA to set National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for widespread pollutants from numerous and diverse sources considered harmful to public health and environment.…”

“…This Index was later updated with minor changes through Defra's update on the implementation of DAQI in April 2013 to conform with the EU limit values of pollutant concentrations. The update also emphasised that data rounding off should always be performed at the end of calculations before communicating results to avoid errors [2]. DAQI is defined on a scale of 1 to 10 with colour coding and categorised into four bands of Low (1-3), Moderate (4-6), High (7-9) and Very High (10).…”

“…It was developed in the course of the CITEAIR project [9] and has been around since 2006. The index was made for the purpose of easily comparing the air The objective of this work was to analyze the integral indicators of the air quality assessment and approaches to the definition of the AQI for example PM 10 , PM 2,5 . Materials and methods.…”

“…The levels of the Air Quality Index are determined based on 24-hour concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2,5 , using methods recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the European Environment Agency of the European Union. The study used concentrations PM 10 and PM 2,5 , which were received during 10. 2017-11.2018 at the fixed monitoring station, located at the address: 50, Popudrenko str., Kyiv.…”