Air Quality Index is used by weather meteorologists to convey dust and other pollutants. It is a yardstick measure of healthy or polluted air. According to the EPA, Good air is rated from 1-50, Moderate air from 51-100, Unhealthy for sensitive groups(Seniors, children) 101-150, 151-200 Unhealthy, 201-300 Very Unhealthy, above 300 Hazardous. Healthy buildings interior rated less than 35.

Only way to know what is in your air is to measure with digital tools that indicate pollutants such as Dust pollution(PM2.5/10), Formaldehyde, TVOC’s(total volatile organic compounds, CO2(Carbon dioxide), CO(carbon monoxide).

Many pollutants can have adverse effects, but the PM2.5 dust pollution is so small it gets deep into the lungs and causes serious lung issues like Asthma, Pneumonia, Cardiac arrest and other respiratory diseases.

To find out outside air quality, check your local weather services media for AQI and other metrics. For indoor air quality, you need an AQI meter. Some companies produce tabletop and wall mounted monitors for continuous monitoring.