Air Quality Counts
Air Quality Health Alert Look for this picture, or of the like, on the S.A. Express News front page or the AACOG home page for Health Alert information.
San Antonio's biggest air pollution concern is ground-level ozone. The American Lung Association estimates that over 30,000 children and 70,000 adults in Bexar County alone suffer from breathing difficulties that make them especially susceptible to health damage from ozone pollution.

When you can't breathe, nothing else matters." ®
American Lung Association (ALA)

Forecasting Bad Air Quality
Ozone pollution occurs mostly during hot summer days with little or no wind. Forecasters can predict when the ozone level is expected to exceed standards for healthy air. If unhealthy ozone levels are predicted, an Air Quality Health Alert is announced to the media and public the day before so so that people can take steps to protect their health and help to reduce the pollution emissions that eventually become ozone.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool for forecasting and reporting daily air quality. The EPA lists daily national forecasts for select cities. The AQI tells you how clean or polluted your air will be, and warns of any associated health concerns.

The AQI is being used across the nation by television, newspaper, websites (i.e., AIRNOW.gov), and radio.

The AQI scale runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health danger. To make the AQI as easy to understand as possible, EPA has divided the AQI scale into six categories. Each category corresponds to a different level of health concern. Here are the six levels of health concern and what they mean:

Good
0-50
 		The AQI value for your community is between 0 and 50.

Air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.
Moderate
51-100
 		The AQI for your community is between 51 and 100.

Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of individuals. For example, people who are unusually sensitive to ozone may experience respiratory symptoms.
Unhealthy for sensitive groups
101-150
 		The AQI for your community is between 101 and 150.

Certain groups of people are particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of air pollutants. For example, children and adults who are active outdoors and people with respiratory diseases are at greater risk from exposure to ozone pollution.

Note: When the AQI is forecast to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, an Air Quality Health Alert will be issued.
Unhealthy
151-200
 		AQI values are between 151 and 200.

Everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Very Unhealthy
201-300
 		AQI values are between 201 and 300.

This triggers a broad-scale alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects.
Hazardous
>300
 		AQI values are over 300.

This triggers health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.
Source: http://www.airnow.gov/

The Air Quality Health Alert notification program is broadcast to local media and organizations, as well as individuals. When AACOG receives a forecast of high pollution levels, it issues an Air Quality Health Alert via fax and email.

Want to be added to the Air Quality Health Alert notification list?
To receive Air Quality Health Alerts via email or fax, contact Brenda Williams at (210) 362-5246 or bwilliams@aacog.com and specify your preference.

For more information, call (210) 227-7665.

Natural Resources Outreach
Brenda Williams
Projects Manager
Alamo Area Council of Governments
8700 Tesoro Drive, Suite 700
San Antonio, TX 78217
(210) 362-5200

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