The AQI or the air quality index is for reporting the daily air quality. The following information is from
EPA of Ohio. It tells the viewer how clean or polluted the air is. There are five levels of health concern when looking at air quality and there are also five different pollutants that are examined when solving for the AQI. The five major pollutants are are regulated by the Clean Air Act are ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The AQI values can range from 0 to 500 and they are unhealthy after they reach 100. From 101-150 it is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups which can be people with asthma or children. From this map we can see that Cincinnati is yellow at AQI of 21 which is not terrible but the Ozone is at 97 which is almost at the harmful level. Two surrounding areas Colerain and Batavia are in the same boat is Cincinnati with a green AQI score but a yellow Ozone score. Cleveland is the opposite with having a safe Ozone 48 score but a higher AQI score of 64. Two of the closest areas Mayfield and Sixth District which are both green with good scores.
According to
cleveland.com the air is improving but is still has some of the dirtiest air in the nation. The highest concentration of lead in the air is centered in the Slavic Village neighborhood where the Ferro glass-making plant is there. The area is getting better because the federal polluction stardards have become stricter in recent years. There is still particle matter in the air which can be dangerous. Particulate matter are the microscopic pieces of soot, smoke, dirt, dust and liquid that is in the air. This can cause eye, lung and throat irritation, cause trouble breathing, lung cancer, low birth weight in babies, and trigger heart attacks according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As these continue to go down in northeast Ohio the life expectancy improves. This picture is Clevelands air which does not look that amazing but it is better than it was 15 years ago.
