LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Mid-Michigan has had a quiet forecast over the past few weeks as we continue to see sunshine and warm temperatures across most of the Great Lakes and even into New England. Why talk about it now? Well sometimes heat and sunshine can affect the air quality and cause some pollutants to increase. In fact, you have probably noticed the weather team here mention the air quality or the Air Quality Index a few times this week but what is it and what does it mean to you?
Air quality affects how you live and breathe, air quality is measured by how clean or polluted the air is. Like the UV Index, the Air Quality Index is a measurement of the density of certain pollutants in our air that can negatively affect our health. The five pollutants measured are ground level ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) work together to put a forecast together that the public can use to act in a timely matter and adjust, prevent or limit the harmful effects of poor air quality.