

Why is Irvine air quality bad today?Īs with many cities, Irvine air pollution stems primarily from vehicle traffic. Refer to the top of this page for Irvine forecast air quality data and real-time air quality data. Irvine only experienced 5.2 days of high particle pollution per year from 2016–2018, just above the EPA’s passing grade of 3.2 days. Irvine experiences more unhealthy ozone days than unhealthy PM2.5 days. Between 2016–2018, Irvine averaged 17 high ozone days per year. However, Irvine has failed to meet this standard consistently since 1996. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows a maximum of 3.2 high ozone days per year in its “passing” air quality grade. For this reason, ozone is more problematic in the summer and early fall seasons when temperatures are highest.Īlthough Irvine air quality has averaged “good” levels in recent years, Irvine does experience short-term pollution events in which air quality reaches “unhealthy” levels or worse. Ozone is known as a “secondary pollutant.” This means that it’s produced when a mix of precursor pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from car exhaust and factories react in sunlight, largely at temperatures above 84 degrees Fahrenheit (☏). In the long term, ozone exposure can cause permanent lung damage and restrict lung development in young children. Rather, when inhaled, ground-level ozone irritates the eyes and throat, often causing chest pain and coughing. Unlike atmospheric ozone that shields Earth from UV radiation, ground-level ozone does not provide any environmental benefits. Ground-level ozone is another harmful pollutant and significant component of smog in big cities. PM2.5 is often described as the most dangerous pollutant to health because of its small size and abundance.

The near-microscopic size of PM2.5 allows these particles to penetrate the bloodstream upon inhalation, causing far-reaching health effects throughout the body and brain. These particles include ash, dust, dirt, chemicals, viruses, or bacteria. PM2.5 refers to fine particle pollution measuring 2.5 microns or smaller in diameter. The six key pollutants include two particle sizes, PM2.5 and PM10, and four common gases - ozone (O 3), NO 2, SO 2, and carbon monoxide (CO). The overall AQI is derived from the pollutant with the highest individual index score. The AQI formula translates concentration values from six criteria pollutants into an index score. For example, the air quality in Mammoth Lakes, a region in Northern California popular with tourists for outdoor recreation, reached a “beyond index” AQI of 1205 on October 19th, 2020. Although this is rare, such hazardous levels have been recorded as recently as late 2020 during California’s record-breaking wildfire season. The AQI formula is a linear equation, so it is possible for the AQI to break 500. The AQI scale ranges from 0–500, where higher values indicate greater pollution concentrations and increased health risks. Irvine’s air quality is typically reported using the air quality index (AQI). Less density often translates to less traffic congestion and reduced personal emissions. Irvine’s improved air quality, compared to Los Angeles’ air quality, is attributable to Irvine’s lower population density. Irvine air quality is markedly better than the air quality of its neighbor, Los Angeles, which averaged an AQI of 52 (“moderate”) during the same 2019 monitoring period. In 2019, Irvine’s average AQI was 41 (“good”), a 40 percent improvement from nearly two decades earlier. If specified number is 0 or less, then update will be set to "Update manually".When public records began in 2000, Irvine’s air quality index (AQI) averaged 68 (“moderate”) Irvine AQI has improved dramatically since then, largely as a result of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act that increased air quality monitoring, emission control, and enforcement. Description: Changes update interval to the given.Parameters: String - URL to Unsplash page or search query.Description: Adds all possible channels from given URL or search query.Description: Removes channel with given name.Description: Changes current channel to the one with given name.Description: Returns name of current channel.Įxample response: "MacOS Wallpapers" Set Current Channel.Description: Returns list of available channels.Įxample response: Get Current Channel.

