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AQI Index
Air Quality Index Sheet in English
English

Air Quality Index Sheet in Spanish
en español
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a system of quantifying the quality of the ambient air we breathe. The AQI reading for a given day is based on the critical pollutants and upon pollutants with high readings. The major air pollutants used to determine the AQI are ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

The Air Quality Index is divided into six categories ranging from good to hazardous. Good is green, and ranges from 0-50. The next level is moderate, which is yellow and ranges from 51-100. The third level is unhealthy for sensitive groups, and is orange. It ranges from 101-150. The fourth level is unhealthy, which is red and ranges from 151-200. Very unhealthy is purple, and ranges from 201 to 300. The hazardous level, rarely seen in the United States, is black and has an AQI of 301+.

Victoria County is recognized as near-nonattainment for ozone, which means our ground level ozone is dangerously near exceeding the federal health based recommendations for ground level ozone. Most of the time, the critical pollutant in our AQI will be ozone. However, sometimes the critical pollutant will be particulate matter. Particulate matter usually occurs when winds bring smoke or dust from other regions into our Victoria air. The following Air Quality Guide illustrates the levels of the AQI, and the cautionary statements assigned to each level.




AIR QUALITY GUIDE
Air Quality AQI Caution-Ozone Caution
Very Small Particles (PM 2.5)
Good 0 - 50 No health impacts are expected when air quality is in this range.

No health impacts are expected when air quality is in this range.
Moderate 51 - 100 Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

No health impacts are expected when air quality is in this range.
Unhealthy for
Sensitive Groups
101 - 150 Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

People with respiratory disease or heart disease, the elderly, and children should limit prolonged exertion.
Unhealthy 151 - 200 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.

People with respiratory disease or heart disease, the elderly, and children should avoid prolonged exertion; everyone else should limit prolonged exertion.
Very Unhealthy 201 - 300 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.

People with respiratory disease or heart disease, the elderly, and children should avoid any outdoor activity; everyone else should avoid prolonged exertion.