The air quality refers to the cleanliness or pollution of the air. The air we breathe can be harmful to our health as well as to the environment, which is why air quality monitoring is essential.
The Air Quality Index, or in short, AQI, measures air quality. An AQI measures air quality on a scale of 0 to 500. The AQI, on the other hand, shows changes in air pollution, rather than changes in temperature.
What does the air consist of?
Nitrogen and oxygen are two gases in our atmosphere that have a vital role to play in keeping our planet alive. There are other gases and particles which are also present in smaller quantities in the air. AQI measures five major pollutants in the air which are:
- The amount of ozone on the ground
- Gases such as carbon monoxide
- Gases such as sulfur dioxide
- The presence of nitrogen dioxide
- Particulates, also known as aerosols, that are present in the air
United States air pollution poses the greatest risk to public health from ozone and airborne particles. Smog can also be formed from these two substances, because they reduce visibility.
What factors contribute to poor air quality?
In the atmosphere, there exists a layer of ozone, which is a type of gas. This ozone layer protects us from harmful solar radiation by blocking it. Human health is however adversely affected by ground level ozone. The product of some chemical reactions (such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and methane) coupled with sunlight is called ozone. They can also be emitted by industrial facilities, automobile exhaust, gasoline fumes and other sources.
Droplets of liquid and solid particles are airborne particles. In addition to construction sites, vehicle exhaust pipes, smokestacks, volcanoes, wildfires, and many other places, these particles become airborne. Atmospheric chemical reactions can also create the particles.
Procedure for testing indoor air qualit
Obtaining information
An indoor air quality survey is necessary before testing begins. There will be several types of questions included in this survey.
- Type of building – Is the building new or old, is it a residential or commercial building.
- Components used in building construction.
- Installation of a ventilation system
- Residents and/or workers of the area who will be tested
- Testing individuals residing or working in an area for disease history and diagnosis of health problems
- Used equipment that can release pollutants that harm the indoor environment
- Housekeeping and cleaning systems’ effectiveness
- If there is any presence of foul smell, mold, and dust
Basically, the results of this survey will allow us to determine whether pollutants are present and how to conduct the VOC testing and analysis procedure for indoor air quality.
Selecting a location and identifying it
The survey questionnaire can be reviewed in its entirety once the overall air quality analysis is done and the test locations identified. The distribution of air indoors is not evenly distributed, so more than one location needs to be chosen when testing indoor air quality.
