ir pollution can affect our health at any age and at any time of the year. Any one responsible for the health and safety of other people needs to be especially aware of air quality. If an air pollution advisory does occur, people who supervise children, teenagers or the elderly should take immediate action to reduce any exposure to the unhealthy air.

How Are Pollution Levels Reported?

he U.S. EPA replaced its Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in 1999 with its Air Quality Index (AQI) in order to incorporate the new Federal ozone and PM2.5 standards. The index is designed to provide accurate, timely and easily understandable information about daily levels of air pollution. This new index reflects revisions to the primary health-based national ambient air quality standards for ground-level ozone and particulate matter issued by U.S. EPA in 1997. satisfactory range.

What Should We Do if There is an Air Pollution Advisory?

The intervals, color code assignment, and the terms describing the AQI are as follows:

AQI Index Values	Health Categories	Cautionary Statements for 8-Hour Ozone
0 to 50	Good	None
51 to 100	Moderate	Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
101 to 150	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
151 to 200	Unhealthy	Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
201 to 300	Very Unhealthy	Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else especially children, should limit outdoor exertion.
301 to 500	Hazardous	Everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion.

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