AQI Guide

Air Quality Index Guide

The Air Quality Index (AQI) scale is generally set between 0 and 500 and indicates the current or expected level of pollution in a specific area or region. It is a public tool to help individuals understand certain levels of medical challenges they may face in the areas which they live or travel to. The AQI is not 100% scientific because it takes into account different factors, but all are very similar. Because of this, different countries will have different standards and guides for labeling AQI, and even different states, provinces and other government divisions may also assess different air quality standards based on the needs of their populations.

AQI-India, AirNow.gov and AQICN.org are three of the leading international agencies that constantly monitor — in real time — air quality worldwide. These agencies generally use the following table and chart for reporting air quality results to the public.