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+--- Thread: Air Quality (/showthread.php?tid=582)
Air Quality - MidTowner - 05-25-2016
Environment and Climare Change Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement for Waterloo Region and other parts of Southern Ontario. "Possible high levels of air pollution are expected today...Hot and sunny conditions are expected to cause increasing ground-level ozone concentrations this afternoon..."
There were no Special Air Quality Statements for the Region in 2015. The long-range forecasts are typically calling for above-normal temperatures this summer, so perhaps we'll see more inclement air quality.
RE: Air Quality - tomh009 - 05-25-2016
Environment Canada says AQHI of 7 later this afternoon, but unfortunately they provide no details on PM2.5, ozone or NOx concentrations. Would like to know actual numbers ...
RE: Air Quality - MidTowner - 05-25-2016
Well, it's based on the average of those three contaminants over the course of several hours. They need to have a forecast for them to calculate the AQHI, but I have no idea how they forecast those. It might be a wide range of each that results in any AQHI level. Otherwise, I agree with you, they should share the levels they are forecasting.
You'll be able to see exactly how much ozone and NO2 you were subjected to tomorrow morning, though!
RE: Air Quality - tomh009 - 05-25-2016
(05-25-2016, 02:24 PM)MidTowner Wrote: You'll be able to see exactly how much ozone and NO2 you were subjected to tomorrow morning, though!
Where do you see the past 24 hours' data? I didn't see anything obvious on the Environment Canada site.
RE: Air Quality - panamaniac - 05-25-2016
I'll try not to lose any sleep....
RE: Air Quality - MidTowner - 05-25-2016
I'm not sure where Environment and Climate Change Canada have it, but you can find historical data on Air Quality Ontario's site here.
RE: Air Quality - tomh009 - 05-25-2016
Thanks! I did find current readings, too, for example here:
http://www.airqualityontario.com/history/station.php?stationid=26060
Currently showing:
O3: 66 ppb
PM2.5: 9 µg/m3
NO2: 5 ppb
The WHO recommended maximum mean:
O3: 50 ppb (8h)
PM2.5: 25 µg/m3 (24h)
NO2: 105 ppb (1h)
As a percentage of the WHO recommendation:
O3: 133%
PM2.5: 36%
NO2: 5%
Clearly the ozone levels are the problem here, not particulates or NO2. Still under the 80 ppb danger level but not good.