What is the Air Quality Index?

Currently in use throughout Québec, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool that informs the public hourly about air quality. The AQI rates air quality as good, acceptable, or poor depending on the degree to which pollution standards are exceeded when measured at specific times. The AQHI is produced regionally as well as for specific regions affected by local sources of pollution. The pollutants measured are nitrogen dioxide, ozone, fine particles, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

Page top

What is the Info-Smog program?

The Info-Smog program provides a daily regional air quality forecast based on the three same categories as the Air Quality Index (AQI): good, acceptable, and poor. When the forecast calls for poor air quality, a smog warning is issued for the regions concerned.

The Info-Smog program grew out of an alliance between Environment Canada and the Meteorological Service of Canada, and partners that operate air quality monitoring networks (the City of Montréal and Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs) as well as the directions de santé publique and the ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. This program has been in place since 1994 for the summer and since 2002 for the summer and the winter. It is in effect in many of Québec’s regions.

Page top

What is the Air Quality Health Index?

The Air Quality Health Index is a short-term health risk index associated with air pollution. Air Quality Health Index is presented as a scale from 1 to 10+, and provides health risk level for a particular region.

The higher Air Quality Health Index, the greater the health risk (onset or exacerbation of respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms). However, the degree to which individuals react to AQHI varies from one person to another.

Air Quality Health Index takes into account the combination of health effects caused by three pollutants: nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and fine particles. Air Quality Health Index is calculated on the basis of the contamination levels of these three pollutants as measured by monitoring stations located in a given region.

Air Quality Health Index is presently being tested in a pilot project in the cities of Québec and Gatineau-Ottawa.