Air Quality Index for Kids - Parents Reference Page

Parent's Material

Why should children learn about air quality?

Children are among the group of people who most often feel the impact of air pollution. Their bodies are still growing and they often play outside where the pollution levels can be high. This Clean Air Web site explains the Air Quality Index (AQI) to children at the kindergarten through first grade level. By using AQI colors, this Web site shows how your child can moderate their activity to safely play outside when air pollution levels are elevated. Enjoy this Web site with your child. Then play the games together to reinforce to air quality messages.

When your child is older, please move on to the AQI Kids page, which is intended for children between the ages of 7-10. Read the information together and then play the chameleon games.

What is the Air Quality Index (AQI)?

The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It indicates how clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health concerns you should be aware of. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. EPA has assigned a specific color to each AQI category to make it easier for people to understand quickly the significance of air pollution levels in their communities. For example, the color orange means that conditions are "unhealthy for sensitive groups"; the color red means that conditions may be "unhealthy" for everyone, and so on.

How can I find the air quality in my community?

State and local air quality forecasts and real-time ozone maps are available from AIRNow - Where I Live. Many newspapers and TV news reports refer to the AQI, especially during periods when it is advisable to take precautions due to high

How can I learn more about the AQI?

Please read Air Quality Index - A Guide to Air Quality and Your Health(6294KB,12pp.PDF,about PDF) for an explanation

Air Quality Links

• AIRNow
• Air Quality Forecasts
• Ozone Maps
• What you can do about Ozone
• What you can do about Air Pollution
• What you can do about Climate Change
• Visibility
• Ozone
• Ozone and your health (2.5MB, 2pp., PDF,about PDF)
• Particulate Matter
  
• Summertime Safety: Keeping Kids Safe from Sun and Smog (206KB, 2pp., PDF,about PDF)
  

Other Kids Sites from the EPA

• Adventure's of a Garbage Gremlin
• Student's for the Environment
• Climate Change
• Recycle City
  

Other Kids Sites

• North Carolina Division of Air Quality - Just for Kids

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