Description
This is a website tool that provides access to real time and historical PM2.5 data obtained from an air sensor network comprised of IQAir sensors.
Questions this resource can help answer
What is current, historic, and forecasted air quality for PM2.5 sensors in my city?
How does air quality in my city compare with air quality in other cities in my state and across the U.S.?
How do I use this resource?
There are several different features available. There is a global real time map that can be accessed by clicking on the globe icon in the bottom right of the starting map. You can access current, historical, and forecast air quality for any specific location by either typing it into the search bar, or by clicking on a sensor location on the map. You can also display rankings of historical and current air quality data across major cities in the world, or, you can filter for just U.S. cities, or for cities within a state.
Pro tips
Note that the color codes for the city comparison charts, while similar to the AQI, are not AQI levels. Instead, they are multiples of the WHO guideline value of 5 ug/m3. The local air quality maps color codes do align with the USEPA AQI levels.
The forecast feature provides a lot of additional useful information, including weather data, pollen counts, and recommendations for activity restrictions.
Resource information
Technical specifications
PM2.5 data is reported from only the IQAir sensor network. These are from sensors that have been purchased and installed by volunteers. Information on the quality and reliability of the sensor network is not provided.
