How to Check Your Air Quality Using Google Maps

Air pollution has become a serious health crisis in the 21st century. And it has led to various lung diseases such as asthma and even lung cancer. In places like Delhi, the situation is so worse that the damage caused by the air pollution is very similar to that caused by smoking multiple cigarettes. So it becomes crucial for living in these big cities to check the quality of air before they step out for some work.

Google’s Tool To Check Air Quality

Google has introduced a new tool that will help you in checking the Air Quality Index of your city on Google maps. This feature is available for Android and iOS users and will enable you to check your local air quality effectively. Furthermore, the feature will also help you in detecting any possible accumulation of smoke due to any wildfires near you.

This air quality tool will show the air quality in terms of AQI or the Air Quality Index. AQI is also being used by government agencies to keep themselves updated about the air pollution levels. Thus, every data that you will see on Google comes directly from the Environmental Protection Agency and PurpleAir, which is a collective community of scientists who analyze the air quality and keep a record of this data.

Using this feature on Google Maps, users can also keep in check the exact level of allergens such as pollen and dust that causes serious issues to people allergic to them.

How To Check Air Quality Using Google Maps

You can benefit from this amazing feature of Google in the following ways –

1. Open Google Maps on your mobile phone.
2. Click on the arrow button present at the lower right corner of the screen to pinpoint your exact location.
3. You can also type in the search box any location that you are planning to visit.
4. Now select the layers button present on the top right side of the search bar to open the layers menu.
5. On the next page, look for an icon named “Air Quality” present in the Map details section.
6. After clicking on it, you will get an index containing the latest information on how the air is outside your house.

How To Find Air Quality Of Multiple Places In A Region

Google also gives you an option to get the exact AQI score of a whole region by following these steps –

1. Open Google Maps and click on the arrow icon we discussed earlier.
2. Now type in the region that you want to scan for the air quality index.
3. Click on the layers button on top of the screen, and you will see a layer menu.
4. In this menu, look for the air quality icon and click on it.
5. Now you will see color-coded AQI scores all over the region.
6. You can tap on any of the bubbles to get detailed air quality information at the map’s point.

The scores usually range from 50 to 300. If the score is below 50, that region’s air quality is perfect. While if it surpasses the 300 mark, then it’s better if you skip that location for the day because you might get exposed to high pollution levels.

How To Check Air Quality Using Google Search

Some people might not find it convenient to go through many steps to find the exact quality of air around them. So to make their job a lot easier, Google has enabled users to check the AQI directly from Google search. You can also avail this feature by following these steps –

1. Open Google search on your mobile phone or any device.
2. Type in “air quality near me” in the search box.
3. If you are looking for the air quality of any particular location, you can type in “air quality in (name of location)” and hit the search button.
4. You will get a detailed color-coded AQI of that area.
5. You can also get a detailed report on the air quality of that area by just clicking on it.

How To Read AQI Index On Google Maps

The AQI levels provided by Google are color-coded and are thus difficult for a normal person to understand. Here are some major classifications of AQI and what each level signifies.

• If the AQI is between 0-50, it is considered good, and there is no risk of air pollution.
• An AQI of 51-100 means moderate amounts of pollutants are present in the air.
• 101-150 AQI signifies that the air is unhealthy for people with breathing conditions, children, and the old.
• 151 – 200 AQI means that the air is unhealthy for you and can give you breathing problems.
• AQI 201-300 falls under the very unhealthy category and can give you serious health issues.
• When the level of AQI is higher than 300, then the air is hazardous, and breathing it will have serious health implications.

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Conclusion

This is all the information you need about how to check the air quality near you using Google Maps. Now you can go around traveling to places without any fear of breathing foul air.