Why Air Quality Matters
The air we breathe impacts every aspect of our health and environment. Clean air supports healthy lungs, reduces the risk of heart disease, and protects vulnerable groups like children and older adults. Unfortunately, air pollution is a major global challenge, especially tiny airborne particles known as particulate matter (PM).
What is Particulate Matter (PM)?
Particulate matter is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some are large enough to see as smoke, dust, or soot, but the most dangerous are microscopic — so small that they can bypass our body’s natural defenses.
The 3 Main Types of PM Pollutants
PM10 – Inhalable Particles
- Size: 10 micrometers or smaller (about 1/7 the width of a human hair).
- Sources: Dust from roads, construction sites, agriculture, and wildfires
- Health Impacts: Can irritate eyes, nose, and throat; worsen asthma and bronchitis.\
PM2.5 – Fine Particles
- Size: 2.5 micrometers or smaller.
- Sources: Vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, power plants, burning wood or coal.
- Health Impacts: Small enough to reach deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream. Linked to heart attacks, strokes, lung disease, and shortened life expectancy
Ultrafine Particles (PM0.1) – The Smallest & Most Dangerous
- Size: 0.1 micrometers or smaller (nanoparticles).
- Sources: Traffic emissions, industrial combustion, some indoor sources (cooking, smoking, candles).
- Health Impacts: Penetrate cell membranes and may reach organs like the brain. Research is still emerging, but evidence suggests they cause inflammation, cardiovascular stress, and neurological impacts.
Monitoring Air Quality
Air quality is often reported using the Air Quality Index (AQI), a scale that translates pollution levels into easy-to-understand categories from “Good” (green) to “Hazardous” (maroon).
At EcoSavvy, we use portable air monitors to collect local data and share results with the community. Tracking PM levels helps:
- Identify pollution “hotspots” in neighborhoods.
- Compare air before and after rainfall, storms, or traffic changes.
- Raise awareness about how daily activities impact air quality.
What You Can Do
- Check your daily AQI using local air quality apps or the EPA’s AirNow.
- Limit outdoor activity on high-pollution days.
- Support policies that reduce industrial and traffic emissions.
- Join EcoSavvy’s community air monitoring projects and learn how you can contribute data!
Resources:
What is the air quality index (AQI)?
Inhalable Particulate Matter and Health (PM2.5 and PM10)