redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)
2022-09-11 03:20 pm
Entry tags:

air quality numbers

TIL that Canada is using a different air quality index than I'm used to except that higher numbers are still worse. The Canadian air quality health index (AQHI) uses a scale from 1-10+, where "10+" as worst, and is based on the effects of air pollution on mortality risk. I noticed this vaguely on my most recent trip, and was just prompted to look it up, so I'll have an idea of what the numbers mean--the weather app on my phone was presenting numbers like "3, worse than yesterday," assuming I'd know what that meant.

The AQHI is calculated based on nitrogen dioxide, PM2.5 (small particles), and ground-level ozone. The FAQ about the AQHI says that unlike previous air quality indices, including what the US is now using, the AQHI isn entirely about health effects, not relative to environmental goals, or whether a goal is technically or economically achievable.