Air Quality Index (AQI) Susan Lyon Stone Susan Lyon Stone

Overview  About the AQI  EPA outreach  Major media outreach  Future directions  About the AQI  EPA outreach  Major media outreach  Future directions

EPA’s AQI  Clean Air Act – develop nationally uniform index and regulate reporting  “Unhealthy” for ozone means same in Lima, OH as Los Angeles, CA  Includes pollutants with national ambient air quality standards  O 3, PM, CO, SO 2, NO 2  Based on health effects information from review of standards  Clean Air Act – develop nationally uniform index and regulate reporting  “Unhealthy” for ozone means same in Lima, OH as Los Angeles, CA  Includes pollutants with national ambient air quality standards  O 3, PM, CO, SO 2, NO 2  Based on health effects information from review of standards

State/local Agency’s AQI  Monitor ambient air  Report AQI  Usefulness of AQI linked to implementation  Continuous monitoring (e.g., PM 2.5 )  Forecasting and real-time data reporting  Participating in AIRNOW  Monitor ambient air  Report AQI  Usefulness of AQI linked to implementation  Continuous monitoring (e.g., PM 2.5 )  Forecasting and real-time data reporting  Participating in AIRNOW

AQI Revised  To represent health information from review of standards  Non-threshold nature of effects  Sub-indices for PM 2.5 and O 3 (8-hr average)  For use in contemporary media  Real-time data reporting  User-friendly format (e.g., colors, language)  To represent health information from review of standards  Non-threshold nature of effects  Sub-indices for PM 2.5 and O 3 (8-hr average)  For use in contemporary media  Real-time data reporting  User-friendly format (e.g., colors, language)

AQI Pollutant-Specific  Pollutant-specific statements  Health effects statements  Cautionary statements  Sensitive group statements  Pollutant-specific statements  Health effects statements  Cautionary statements  Sensitive group statements

AQI Easy to Understand  Format intuitively clear  Category descriptors  Colors  Statements  Focus group testing  General public – 5 cities  Target audiences – 3 cities  Format intuitively clear  Category descriptors  Colors  Statements  Focus group testing  General public – 5 cities  Target audiences – 3 cities

AQI Focus Groups Journalists Elderly – chronic lung disease Parents – asthmatic children

DescriptorIndex ValueRisk Message Good0 - 50No message Moderate Unusually sensitive individuals (ozone) Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups Identifiable groups at risk – different groups for different pollutants Unhealthy General public at risk; groups at greater risk Very Unhealthy General public at greater risk; groups at greatest risk

Ozone Levels

Air Quality Forecast

Air Quality Guide - Ozone

Ozone and Your Health

Smog - Who Does It Hurt?

Health Care Providers  “Ozone and Your Patients’ Health” video  CME credit UNC School of Medicine   Air pollution health effects poster  Focus on O 3, PM and AQI  Ready Fall 2001  “Ozone and Your Patients’ Health” video  CME credit UNC School of Medicine   Air pollution health effects poster  Focus on O 3, PM and AQI  Ready Fall 2001

The Weather Channel

USA Today

Future Directions  PM air pollution  Public information documents  Real-time data - AIRNOW  Health care providers – Web-based instructional unit  Communicate appropriately in fire situations  Evaluate research  PM air pollution  Public information documents  Real-time data - AIRNOW  Health care providers – Web-based instructional unit  Communicate appropriately in fire situations  Evaluate research

Boston March 8, :30 AM Boston March 8, :30 AM