Calculation of the air quality index requires information on the level of pollution over a certain average period obtained from air quality monitoring gas analyzers or obtained by calculation (which is a less accurate method of determining air pollution). The concentration and time of spread of pollutants in the atmosphere are taken together. The health effects of a particular volume of pollutants are determined by epidemiological studies. Air pollutants vary in strength and the function used to convert an air pollutant to an air quality index varies by pollutant. The air quality index is usually formed by levels, each level has its own description and characterization, color code and standardized public health information message.

The air quality index can increase due to many factors such as rush hour traffic, fires, lack of wind, or shortages of air pollutant diluents. Stagnant air often caused by an anticyclone, temperature inversion, or slow wind speeds allows air pollutants to remain in one place, resulting in high concentrations of pollutants, as well as a chemical reaction between pollutants in the atmosphere and resulting in smog.

On the day when the level of the air quality index is predicted to increase the agency or health organization should:

• Advise sensitive groups such as seniors, children, and those with respiratory or cardiac diseases to avoid outdoor physical activity
• Announce the day and ask people to leave their cars at home and use public transport to reduce emissions.
• Recommend the use of respirator masks to avoid putting fine particles into the lungs.

During periods of very low air quality, in cases of air pollution in a particular place, city, or neighborhood, when the air quality index indicates that severe exposure could result in significant harm to public health, the agency or authorized body may impose an emergency plan that would allow them to order major air polluters such as thermal power plants, thermal power plants, coal-fired, gas-fired plants, and others to reduce emissions until harmful conditions are abated.

The definition of the air quality index in different countries reflects the reasoning behind the development of national air quality standards. Websites of state institutions allowing at any time, in real time to see data on air quality and in particular the air quality index are now gaining popularity and are available in almost all major cities in the world.

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Air quality problems often arise in different parts of the world.

Environmentalists and physicians are talking about air quality problems around the world. Microdust concentrations in different regions are increasingly reaching critical values, which cannot but affect health.

Toxic “cocktails” affect health of many people- asthma, bronchitis, heart and blood vessel diseases develop. There is a chronic fatigue and, worst of all, the risk of cancer increases. When you inhale gases like carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide, the cells that line your airways absorb them. When ingested, the gases can penetrate your bloodstream and spread to your internal organs. That’s where they do their damage. If the substances don’t get into the bloodstream, they damage the lungs.

To understand the real picture of the cleanliness of the air in your area, you can use online tools. Several resources provide such data:

• Aequin.org is an online air pollution map that collects and publishes indicators all over the world, including Ukraine. For this purpose within the framework of the project 11 thousand sensors were installed in 90 countries, mainly – in large cities. The map allows not only to monitor air pollution in real time but also to compare the indicators of different countries. Also on the site you can see analysts’ forecasts about the expected air purity.
• Windy.com is a weather map, but it also has a feature to view air pollution around the world. To access the necessary data, you will have to go into the settings and turn on Air Quality.
• Waqi.info not only shows air quality data from around the world, but also makes predictions and offers a detailed analysis of each city’s observational history for the past 14 months. The site uses a system of painted ratings and color-coded labels to assess air quality. You can also add your own monitoring system to the map.
• Unique in its kind, the Israeli project Breezometer.com provides very interesting data on air quality – different from many. This is because the company uses a new approach to calculating the pollution index – Breezometer believes that it is necessary to take into account the specifics of each individual country, as each region has its own quality levels. In Israel, for example, there are four quality levels, while the US has six. The site also displays health recommendations based on the current index.
• IQAir is a Swiss international company that has been developing innovative indoor air purification solutions for the past 57 years and at the same time monitoring air pollution around the world. The site is constantly updated with clean air ratings and articles, as well as a real-time map and seven-day forecast.

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