Why we should have a universal air quality index?

• Published in: Environment international 2024-05, Vol.187, p.108698-108698, Article 108698
• Main Authors: Ravindra, Khaiwal, Singh, Vikas, Mor, Suman
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: air; Air Pollutants - analysis; Air Pollution; air quality; Algorithms; Citizen science; color; Color coding; environment; Environmental Exposure; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Humans; Influence of media; issues and policy; mortality; Particulate Matter - analysis; Public Health; risk; Risk Assessment; Risk information; toxicity; Universal AQI
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108698

•The AQI color code and category correspond to different pollution levels in different countries.•An internationally compatible universal AQI for risk communication to the public is proposed.•Risk communication should focus on the universal color-coded index instead of numbers.•Public awareness must be increased through the citizen science approach.•The public should be engaged in air quality monitoring. Air pollution is known to be one of the major risk factors for premature morbidity and mortality globally, which are preventable. Therefore, the public is informed about air pollution through the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI represents integrated data of selected pollutants and produces a combined overall index for specific locations and time. The AQI algorithm generates a range of numbers and categories of colors that indicate likely health risks from air pollutants and the public's actions to minimize the risks. However, it lacks emerging evidence on chemical toxicity or composition. Hence, policymakers may also consider addinga toxicity matrix of fine particles to refine the algorithm, such as oxidative potential. Further, the risk is commonly communicated in numbers and not in color as dictated by the AQI. The AQI values and categories vary significantly between countries for the same pollution concentration, leading to confusion. Hence, we recommend developing a universal AQI (UAQI) with a consistent relationship between colors, concentrations, and toxicity to communicate air pollution risks to the public. Further, communication media should be encouraged to use universal color-coding rather than AQI values, i.e., numbers. Therefore, a global policy framework for regulatory authorities and policymakers is needed to communicate air pollution risk information consistently and to minimize public health exposure.