Begin with your real decision
Four details that make a reading useful
- 01Pollutant
- PM2.5, PM10 or another pollutant?
- 02Unit / index
- µg/m³ or a named AQI scale?
- 03Time
- Current hour, daily average or forecast?
- 04Source
- A station observation or a model?
Decide whether you need a current local observation, a forecast for tomorrow, pollutant detail or a broad regional view. These are different jobs. A service that plainly labels the result and its time is more useful than one that reduces several different data products to an unexplained score.
Check the data trail
Look for a monitor or area name, timestamp, pollutant, unit, averaging period, source and whether the result is measured, modelled or forecast. Also check which AQI system is used. US AQI values are not universal, and European and national indices have their own methods.
Treat claims carefully
Compare services only after matching location and time, and follow official local health messaging for activity decisions. Atmiq is currently being built; do not assume unannounced mobile-app, alert or forecast features. A web map can still be assessed by the clarity of its data source and the fit with the question you need answered.
Sources
Educational information; personal health questions belong with your clinician.
Explore next
- PM2.5: what it means and how to use the reading
- PM10: what it is and how it differs from PM2.5
- Air quality index: what AQI means
- Air pollution and health
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