Air Quality Health Index Gets Cash

By 250 News

It has been  nearly a year since Opinion 250 first yold you about the pilot project  on the "Air Quality Health Index "  today, that  pilot project  has been given $100 thousand dollars from the Provincial Government.

The  AQHI  is  delivered much like the UV index, letting you know  how  the quality of air will be  in several  B.C. communities, including Prince George.  

The BC Lung Association has been given the money to  launch public education campaign  about the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) .

"It’s regrettable that we’re in the position to require such an index, but the AQHI is a very important tool," said BC Lung Association executive director Scott McDonald. "Even people who don’t normally have difficulty breathing can find themselves affected by poorer air quality on particularly hot, humid summer days."

British Columbia’s Air Quality Health Index, the first of its kind in Canada, was recently recognized by the B.C. Medical Association with its annual Excellence in Health Promotion Award. The awards recognize leadership and creativity in health promotion and positive, long-term advances for health and safety in B.C.

There are some who say the index isn’t right for all communities because it doesn’t measure all pollutants,  for instance, it doesn’t record levels of Pm 10  which is a prime culprit for air quality issues in Prince George.

The AGHI measures four components to make an assessment on the risk the current air conditions pose to a persons health if they are engaged in outdoor activities.

• Ozone at ground level
• Fine particulate matter (PM2.5)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)

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