1. General Information 2. Reporting Requirements 3. Data Handling 1. General Information

1.1 AQI Overview. The AQI is a tool that simplifies reporting air quality to the public in a nationally uniform and easy to understand manner. The AQI converts concentrations of pollutants, for which the EPA has established a national ambient air quality standard (NAAQS), into a uniform scale from 0-500. These pollutants are ozone (O3), particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The scale of the index is divided into general categories that are associated with health messages.

2. Reporting Requirements

2.1 Applicability. The AQI must be reported daily for a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) with a population over 350,000. When it is useful and possible, it is recommended, but not required for an area to report a sub-daily AQI as well.

2.2 Contents of AQI Report.

2.2.1 Content of AQI Report Requirements. An AQI report must contain the following:

a. The reporting area(s) (the MSA or subdivision of the MSA).

b. The reporting period (the day for which the AQI is reported).

c. The main pollutant (the pollutant with the highest index value).

d. The AQI (the highest index value).

e. The category descriptor and index value associated with the AQI and, if choosing to report in a color format, the associated color. Use only the following descriptors and colors for the six AQI categories:

f. The pollutant specific sensitive groups for any reported index value greater than 100. The sensitive groups for each pollutant are identified as part of the periodic review of the air quality criteria and the NAAQS. For convenience, the EPA lists the relevant groups for each pollutant in the most recent reporting guidance (Technical Assistance Document for the Reporting of Daily Air Quality), which can be found at https://www.airnow.gov/publications/air-quality-index/technical-assistance-document-for-reporting-the-daily-aqi/.

2.2.2 Contents of AQI Report When Applicable. When appropriate, the AQI report may also contain the following, but such information is not required:

a. Appropriate health and cautionary statements.

b. The name and index value for other pollutants, particularly those with an index value greater than 100.

c. The index values for sub-areas of your MSA.

d. Causes for unusually high AQI values.

e. Pollutant concentrations.

f. Generally, the AQI report applies to an area's MSA only. However, if a significant air quality problem exists (AQI greater than 100) in areas significantly impacted by the MSA but not in it (for example, O3 concentrations are often highest downwind and outside an urban area), the report should identify these areas and report the AQI for these areas as well.

2.3. Communication, Timing, and Frequency of AQI Report. The daily AQI must be reported 7 days per week and made available via website or other means of public access. The daily AQI report represents the air quality for the previous day. Exceptions to this requirement are in section 2.4 of this appendix.

a. Reporting the AQI sub-daily is recommended, but not required, to provide more timely air quality information to the public for making health-protective decisions.

b. Submitting hourly data in real-time to the EPA's AirNow (or future analogous) system is recommended, but not required, and assists the EPA in providing timely air quality information to the public for making health-protective decisions.

c. Submitting hourly data for appropriate monitors (referenced in section 3.2 of this appendix) satisfies the daily AQI reporting requirement because the AirNow system makes daily and sub-daily AQI reports widely available through its website and other communication tools.

d. Forecasting the daily AQI provides timely air quality information to the public and is recommended but not required. Sub-daily forecasts are also recommended, especially when air quality is expected to vary substantially throughout the day, like during wildfires. Long-term (multi-day) forecasts can also be made available when useful.

2.4. Exceptions to Reporting Requirements.

a. If the index value for a particular pollutant remains below 50 for a season or year, then it may be excluded from the calculation of the AQI in section 3 of this appendix.

b. If all index values remain below 50 for a year, then the AQI may be reported at the discretion of the reporting agency. In subsequent years, if pollutant levels rise to where the AQI would be above 50, then the AQI must be reported as required in section 2 of this appendix.

c. As previously mentioned in section 2.3 of this appendix, submitting hourly data in real-time from appropriate monitors (referenced in section 3.2 of this appendix) to the EPA's AirNow (or future analogous) system satisfies the daily AQI reporting requirement.

3. Data Handling.

3.1 Relationship of AQI and pollutant concentrations. For each pollutant, the AQI transforms ambient concentrations to a scale from 0 to 500. As appropriate, the AQI is associated with the NAAQS for each pollutant. In most cases, the index value of 100 is associated with the numerical level of the short-term standard (i.e., averaging time of 24-hours or less) for each pollutant. The index value of 50 is associated with the numerical level of the annual standard for a pollutant, if there is one, at one-half the level of the short-term standard for the pollutant or at the level at which it is appropriate to begin to provide guidance on cautionary language. Higher categories of the index are based on the potential for increasingly serious health effects to occur following exposure and increasing proportions of the population that are likely to be affected. The reported AQI corresponds to the pollutant with the highest calculated AQI. For the purposes of reporting the AQI, the sub-indexes for PM10 and PM2.5 are to be considered separately. The pollutant responsible for the highest index value (the reported AQI) is called the “main” pollutant for that day.

3.2 Monitors Used for AQI Reporting. Concentration data from State/Local Air Monitoring Station (SLAMS) or parts of the SLAMS required by 40 CFR 58.10 must be used for each pollutant except PM. For PM, calculate and report the AQI on days for which air quality data has been measured (e.g., from continuous PM2.5 monitors required in appendix D to this part). PM measurements may be used from monitors that are not reference or equivalent methods (for example, continuous PM10 or PM2.5 monitors). Detailed guidance for relating non-approved measurements to approved methods by statistical linear regression is referenced here:

Reference for relating non-approved PM measurements to approved methods (Eberly, S., T. Fitz-Simons, T. Hanley, L. Weinstock., T. Tamanini, G. Denniston, B. Lambeth, E. Michel, S. Bortnick. Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) For Relating Federal Reference Method (FRM) and Continuous PM2.5 Measurements to Report an Air Quality Index (AQI). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC. EPA-454/B-02-002, November 2002).

3.3 AQI Forecast. The AQI can be forecasted at least 24-hours in advance using the most accurate and reasonable procedures considering meteorology, topography, availability of data, and forecasting expertise. The guidance document, “Guidelines for Developing an Air Quality (Ozone and PM2.5) Forecasting Program,” can be found at https://www.airnow.gov/publications/weathercasters/guidelines-developing-air-quality-forecasting-program/.

3.4 Calculation and Equations.

a. The AQI is the highest value calculated for each pollutant as follows:

i. Identify the highest concentration among all of the monitors within each reporting area and truncate as follows:

(A) Ozone—truncate to 3 decimal places PM2.5—truncate to 1 decimal place PM10—truncate to integer CO—truncate to 1 decimal place SO2—truncate to integer NO2—truncate to integer

(B) [Reserved]

ii. Using table 2 to this appendix, find the two breakpoints that contain the concentration.

iii. Using equation 1 to this appendix, calculate the index.

iv. Round the index to the nearest integer.

b. If the concentration is equal to a breakpoint, then the index is equal to the corresponding index value in table 2 to this appendix. However, equation 1 to this appendix can still be used. The results will be equal. If the concentration is between two breakpoints, then calculate the index of that pollutant with equation 1. It should also be noted that in some areas, the AQI based on 1-hour O3 will be more precautionary than using 8-hour values (see footnote 1 to table 2). In these cases, the 1-hour values as well as 8-hour values may be used to calculate index values and then use the maximum index value as the AQI for O3.

Where: Ip = the index value for pollutantp. Cp = the truncated concentration of pollutantp. BPHi = the breakpoint that is greater than or equal to Cp. BPLo = the breakpoint that is less than or equal to Cp. IHi = the AQI value corresponding to BPHi. Ilo = the AQI value corresponding to BPLo.

c. If the concentration is larger than the highest breakpoint in table 2 to this appendix then the last two breakpoints in table 2 may be used when equation 1 to this appendix is applied.

Example:

d. Using table 2 and equation 1 to this appendix, calculate the index value for each of the pollutants measured and select the one that produces the highest index value for the AQI. For example, if a PM10 value of 210 µg/m 3 is observed, a 1-hour O3 value of 0.156 ppm, and an 8-hour O3 value of 0.130 ppm, then do this:

i. Find the breakpoints for PM10 at 210 µg/m 3 as 155 µg/m 3 and 254 µg/m 3, corresponding to index values 101 and 150;

ii. Find the breakpoints for 1-hour O3 at 0.156 ppm as 0.125 ppm and 0.164 ppm, corresponding to index values 101 and 150;

iii. Find the breakpoints for 8-hour O3 at 0.130 ppm as 0.116 ppm and 0.374 ppm, corresponding to index values 201 and 300;

iv. Apply equation 21 to this appendix for 210 µg/m 3, PM10:

v. Apply equation 3 to this appendix for 0.156 ppm, 1-hour O3:

vi. Apply equation 4 to this appendix for 0.130 ppm, 8-hour O3:

vii. Find the maximum, 206. This is the AQI. A minimal AQI report could read: “Today, the AQI for my city is 206, which is Very Unhealthy, due to ozone.” It would then reference the associated sensitive groups.

[89 FR 16403, Mar. 6, 2024]