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Air Quality Index of India - A Solution with Too Many Problems
by Nirvana Being
on Apr 27 2022
India is counted among the topmost polluted countries in the world. Ranking in third place after Bangladesh, and Pakistan, India’s air quality has been a concern for health experts for the many health hazards it poses.
On April 6 ,2015, the Indian government took its first concrete steps toward recognizing poor air quality in its leading cities and urban hubs. On this day, the government of India launched India’s air quality index, known as the National Air Quality Index, commonly abbreviated to NAQI. Read further to understand how NAQI works, and what is lacking its implementation across the country.
How NAQI Works
The air quality index of India or NAQI was launched with the aim of:
Allowing Indian citizens to judge the air quality in their vicinity based on a ‘Single Number – Single Colour – Single Description’ based indexing system to measure the quality of air
Its intended purpose is to measure air quality in urban centers across India, prioritizing real-time air quality analysis to spread public awareness for taking preventive action against exposure to polluted air
To measure air quality in intended urban settings based on the presence of 8 pollutants in the air, namely Particulate Matter 10, Particulate Matter 2.5, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Lead, Ammonia, and Sulphur Dioxide.
The NAQI uses numerical values to make air quality data comprehensive to the general public. NAQI assigns 6 different categories for varying pollution levels, namely - Satisfactory, Good, Moderate, Very Poor, and Severe. Each category is colour-coded to indicate varying pollution levels, with green being ‘Good’ and red being ‘Severe’. While India’s air quality index is easily comprehensible to the general public, let’s take a look at the problems that have arisen out of this solution for measuring air quality in the country.
Failing to Meet World Health Organization Guidelines
In September of 2021, the World Health Organization updated its air quality guidelines. These stringent guidelines indicated that recommended levels of pollutants in the air, which were considered safe for breathing earlier, are now hazardous at even lower levels. Furthermore, the recommended levels for the six most common pollutants in the air, namely; PM2.5, Ozone, Carbon Monoxide, and Nitrogen Dioxide, were lowered as per WHO guidelines.
India’s standards for national air quality are very lax when compared to World Health Organization guidelines. Let’s take for example India’s recommended PM2.5 concentrations which stands at 60 micrograms per cubic meter over 60 hours. In comparison, WHO’s 2005 guidelines for recommended PM2.5 concentrations was 25 micrograms per cubic meter over 24 hours, which was further downwards revised to 15 micrograms in 2021. Problems with the air quality index of India are not only limited for its failure to reflect WHO guidelines but also:
Air Quality Index glitches across various data centers in the country
Limited implementation of the NAQI in select cities and urban hubs only
Furthermore, governments are failing to advise people on mitigating action to be taken when pollution reaches alarming levels
With these existing issues, experts recommend a path forward that involves revising the National Air Quality Index to reflect WHO standards, greater emphasis on accurate data collection, and prioritizing the spread of public awareness.
An In-Depth Guide to Indoor Air Quality Monitor
by Nirvana Being
on Apr 27 2022
In pandemic times, there has been widespread interest in the subject of indoor air quality in public, commercial, and residential spaces, and its relevance to preventing the spread of the Coronavirus.
However, awareness of indoor air quality and its impacts on health and wellness is yet to be widespread. As a result, many are affected by the negative health impacts of poor quality indoor air. And many don’t even know it.
Awareness of the negative health impacts of poor quality indoor air often motivates an effort to monitor indoor air quality. Understanding indoor air quality assessment and monitoring is essential to ensuring clean air in indoor settings. That’s when the need of home air quality monitor starts arising. Read further for a complete guide to air quality monitoring in indoor environments.
What is Indoor Air Quality Assessment and Monitoring?
To monitor indoor air quality is to gather data and assess data on particles, gasses, chemicals, and other pollutants present in the air in indoor spaces.
While a common misconception persists that indoor air is cleaner and safer than outdoor air, indoor air can easily get stale, unclear, and toxic, making breathing in such air harmful.
To monitor indoor air is simply to assess indoor air to ensure that it is safe and clean. An indoor air quality monitor system or home air monitor is often the preferred means of assessing indoor air quality. Read further to know more about these indoor air pollution monitors.
Indoor Air Quality Index and Indoor Air Quality Assessment Systems
Indoor air quality monitors are devices used to gather data on the quality of air in indoor settings. These indoor air pollution monitors gather data which is then compared with a standardized indoor air quality index to assess whether indoor air in any setting is safe for breathing.
It’s best to think of the indoor air quality index as a yardstick to assess the pureness of indoor air. After assessing through the indoor air quality detector, one can take proactive measures to ensure clean air for breathing if the results of an air quality assessment prove to be unsatisfactory.
The AQI (indoor air quality index) shown in the home air quality monitor assigns a numerical value to the quality of air in indoor environments. Higher AQI values shown in the indoor air quality meters indicate greater levels of pollution in indoor environments and greater threats to health and wellness. The AQI is divided into multiple categories, with a numerical value assigned to each category, to indicate greater threat levels as air quality deteriorates in any indoor setting.
Each category is color-coded to indicate a greater threat level. If the room air quality monitor reads AQI values at 100 and under are considered satisfactory, and indoor air valued as such is safe to breathe. The threat of breathing stale and polluted indoor air gets even greater as the indoor air quality monitor shows value higher than 100.
With an understanding of the importance of breathing clean air indoors, wherein we spend most of our lives, it is prudent to consider best indoor air quality meters at www.nirvanabeing.com. This E-commerce platform specializes in the retail of efficient and indoor air quality detectors, masks, and air purifiers. So, are you looking for an efficient room air quality monitor? Get the best quality home air monitor from their website today!
FAQS
Q: How does poor indoor air quality impact health and wellness?
A: Exposure to polluted air in indoor settings can lead to headaches, fatigue, and irritation of the throat, nose, and eyes. Prolonged exposure can lead to respiratory illnesses and cancer.
Q: How to improve poor quality indoor air?
A: One can take various measures to improve indoor air quality including investing in air purifiers, keeping dust out, changing AC filters, using humidity controllers, and more.
How to make indoor air safe for everyone
by Nirvana Being
on Nov 29 2021
If you take a quick look outside from your windows in the early hours of the day, you are most likely to see dense smog. A combination of smoke and fog, smog is supposed to be one of the deadliest particles suspended in the air. As the day passes the smog dissipates but the air remains highly polluted and harmful for breathing. The Air Quality Index of India measures in real time exactly how bad the condition is at any given moment.
What health problems can you have because of poor air quality?
India is one of the most polluted countries in the world, leading to a variety of health problems.
Some minor but visible effects of exposure to air pollution include irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, headaches, nausea, and light-headedness.
In the long run these could lead to severe respiratory illnesses like asthma, hypertension, lung cancer, and most commonly, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Along with these primary diseases, other organs like liver and kidneys might be indirectly affected.
In pregnant women, prolonged exposure to toxic fumes can lead to problems in the developing fetus. This is dangerous for both the mother and the baby, and can even cause birth defects.
For the elderly who are already suffering from other health complications, regularly breathing in poor quality air can significantly reduce life expectancy.
Keeping an eye on the Air Quality Index of India is necessary if you plan to remain outdoors for several hours at a stretch. This way, you will be warned and can go indoors if necessary.
Is indoor air completely clean and safe?
Sadly, the answer to this is no. Some factors that contribute to bad indoor air quality include overused stoves, fumes from fireplaces or coal burning, gas heaters, nearness to construction sites, or simply the location of the house near a busy road. If the air quality outdoors is very poor, it is bound to affect the air inside your homes as well.
Here are some measures you can take to make the air you breathe in at home safer:
Keep an indoor air quality monitor that rapidly detects bad air quality at home. The device monitors the air quality in real time and informs you immediately if the condition deteriorates significantly.
You can open a few windows and allow better circulation of the air. Stuffy rooms can be really dangerous if the air quality is already very poor.
You can place ventilators at home in strategic points.
Installing chimneys is very important as it ensures that all the fumes from the kitchen are able to escape properly. These vapours should not be regularly breathed in by anyone in the house, and especially by little children.
The Laser Egg is an indoor air quality monitor by Nirvana Being that you must have in your home. A small and sleek device, the Laser Egg detects pollutants in the air in real time and helps you to trace its sources and thus make the air cleaner and safer to breathe in. Buy this device today and ensure a long and healthy life for your loved ones.