SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — While summer is usually thought of having bright blue skies and a brighter yellow sun, KELOLAND has seen its fair share of milky skies due to wildfire smoke. Meteorologist Adam Rutt looks at how we measure air quality.
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Air quality has been a concern at times this summer. When this happens, we look at the air quality index, or AQI.
The AQI is a six-tier scale that looks at the concentration of particulates in the air both near the ground as well as in the upper parts of the atmosphere. The closer the number is to zero, the better the air quality. The scale goes up in increments of fifty, with effects becoming more noticeable the higher you go on the scale. Even lower numbers can be problematic for those who are especially sensitive to particulates in the air.
On days where we reach the orange zone and above, strenuous activity is discouraged…especially for children and the elderly. Days where the AQI reached two-hundred-and-one and above are especially dangerous…even for people considered to be generally healthy.
When air quality is studied, scientists look at five major sources of air pollution when assessing and formulating an AQI rating for a location. This includes gases like carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide along with types of particulate pollution like gases from a construction site or smoke from fires to name a few.
High concentrations of air pollution can affect lung health, aggravate asthma symptoms, and lead to a host of other health concerns…