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PRESS RELEASE | ADEQ Expands Air Arizona Air Quality Mobile App

Air Arizona now provides instant access to air quality forecasts for Douglas, Flagstaff, Miami, Hayden, Prescott and Rillito and, when activated, a link to access ADEQ’s Wildfire Smoke Forecasts.

 

PHOENIX (March 29, 2022) — The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) today announced enhancements to its Air Arizona app – a free mobile app with outdoor air quality information for ADEQ air quality forecast areas in Arizona.

Residents, workers, visitors, caregivers, healthcare providers, parents and teachers in Douglas, Flagstaff, Miami, Hayden, Prescott and Rillito can now download the app to have instant access to air quality information that is as easy to understand as weather forecasts. Air Arizona also helps people protect their health and learn simple actions they can take to improve the quality of our air.

“Expanding our air quality forecasts to more Arizona communities, including rural areas, is part of a systematic, statewide approach to provide all Arizonans with relevant air quality information for where they live and work,” said Daniel Czecholinski, ADEQ Air Quality Division Director. “Ensuring Arizonans have access to timely and accurate air quality forecasts is central to ADEQ’s mission to protect and enhance public health and the environment.”

ADEQ’s forecasts are based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Air Quality Index (AQI) and federal health standards. ADEQ air quality meteorologists issue hourly air quality forecasts five days a week, Monday through Friday, with each providing a five-day outlook.

An AQI value of 100 for an air pollutant corresponds to EPA’s federal health standard for that pollutant — the level EPA set to protect public health. According to EPA’s AQI, pollutant levels with an AQI value at or less than 100 are considered satisfactory and values greater than 100 are considered unhealthy — at first for certain sensitive groups of people, and then for everyone as AQI values increase.

Learn More

EPA's AQI | View AQI Guide > Forecasted Pollutants

  • Particulate Matter Fact Sheet | View >
  • Ozone Fact Sheet | View >

When ADEQ air quality meteorologists identify the potential for a forecasted pollutant to exceed the federal health standard (100 AQI), ADEQ will issue a High Pollution Watch (HPW). The HPW serves as an early outlook (up to five days) and provides people with advance notice of potential poor air quality — information they can use to make plans related to their work and outdoor recreation.

As the date of an issued HPW nears and additional data are available to strengthen the forecast analysis, if appropriate, ADEQ will upgrade the HPW to a High Pollution Advisory (HPA). ADEQ issues an HPA when exceedance of the federal health standard for a forecasted pollutant is imminent or there is a high probability.

Also of note in this upgrade to the Air Arizona app, users can now access a new link to ADEQ’s Wildfire Smoke Forecasts for the first time from the app. ADEQ provides wildfire smoke forecasts when Arizona wildfires have the potential for extended air quality impacts as determined in coordination with Federal/State Land Managers |  Learn More >

Air Quality & Your Health

People most vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution include children, older adults, adults exercising outdoors, people with heart or lung disease and those suffering from asthma and bronchitis. Exposure can increase the number and severity of asthma attacks, cause or aggravate bronchitis or other lung disease and reduce the body’s ability to fight infection. Symptoms may include itchy eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain and upper respiratory issues.

Air Quality Forecasting & Alerts

All ADEQ Arizona air quality forecasts | View > Receive air quality forecasts and alerts by text or email | Sign Up > Download the Air Arizona Mobile App | Learn More >

Be Air Aware!

Together we can make a difference to improve air quality for everyone in Arizona | Learn More >

Contact

ADEQ Public Information Officer | 602-540-8072 (cell) | Email >