What is and how air quality is measured

From Air quality study It is possible to know the composition and concentration of the multiple gases and particles that are scattered in the atmosphere. These elements must be in a certain proportion to comply with The optimal equilibrium and quality of airthat is, the one that allows the healthy development of living beings in their habitat.

Various factors directly and indirectly affect such air quality, among which various weather variables, such as temperature, humidity, winds, rainfall, solar radiation and atmospheric pressure, which condition the dispersion and chemical reactions characteristic of the elements present in the air. To expand this information, we recommend you read this other post about why air for living beings is important.

In the next sections we will see how air quality is measured, both in exterior and interior environments.

More and more cities include Air quality monitoring systems as an environmental strategy to control and inform about Status of air pollution in urban nuclei and surroundings.

These monitoring systems allow to directly supply the air quality data collected to the World Environmental Surveillance System (Gems). Thus, records and inventories of the different sources and types of air polluting elements are created, with the aim of maintaining effective air quality control programs. The main polluting elements detected in air quality surveillance stations are usually:

• Sulfur monoxide (SO).
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
• Carbon dioxide (CO2).
• Ozone (O3).
• Total suspended particles (PST).

With the aim of informing the population daily about the air quality of the cities in which they live, more and more the metropolis they use Air quality indices available for public consultation. Below we present some examples of official networks of air quality monitors in charge of spreading daily Information on air quality and air pollution in large cities:

• Air quality web portal of the Madrid City Council.
• Current state of air quality in Barcelona.
• Air quality map in Monterrey.
• Daily air quality monitoring data in Buenos Aires.

Did you know that people spent about 80-90 % of our time in closed environments? And without a doubt, our houses are one of the main closed places in which we are longer, so having a quality air inside is very important to prevent some diseases.

Generally, the presence of air pollutant agents In our houses it depends both on the activities that we carry out inside (smoking, using chemicals, being exposed to moisture and allergens, etc.), and predominant construction products and materials and the amount of air pollutants from abroad that reach houses through ventilation or infiltration systems.

At present, there are different devices capable of Measure and control air quality at homeamong which the IoT and Nanoenvi Iaq models stand out. These sophisticated devices monitor and in real time the air quality, alerting when it is necessary to ventilate the house and make possible the control of their sensors through mobile applications.

There is a negative relationship between air pollution and the effects on people’s health and the environment. Various clinical studies determine how to be exposed daily to an excess of polluting particles of the air entails various health effects. Some of the Consequences of air pollution for our health are:

• Respiratory problems
• Increase in allergies.
• Dermal problems and infections.
• Heart disease.
• Lung cancer.
• Strokes.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

If you want to learn more about this negative relationship between air pollution and our health, you can consult these other ecology articles about health problems due to air pollution, which includes an report, and air pollution: causes, consequences and solutions.

Also, in situations of alert and emergency for air pollutionnot only people are affected, but also the other living beings that breathe the gases present in the contaminated atmosphere.

If you want to read more articles similar to What is and how air quality is measuredwe recommend that you enter our pollution category.